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Former INM Ireland chief executive is latest to sue over data interrogation

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A former senior executive at Independent News & Media Group Limited (INM) is suing the company over the alleged  major data breach currently being investigated by High Court inspectors. Stock picture

A former senior executive at Independent News & Media Group Limited (INM) is suing the company over the alleged major data breach currently being investigated by High Court inspectors. Stock picture

A former senior executive at Independent News & Media Group Limited (INM) is suing the company over the alleged major data breach currently being investigated by High Court inspectors. Stock picture

A former senior executive at Independent News & Media Group Limited (INM) is suing the company over the alleged major data breach currently being investigated by High Court inspectors.

The action was initiated on Tuesday by Joe Webb, the former chief executive of INM's Ireland division.

Although papers have yet to be lodged, it is understood Mr Webb is, among other things, suing for breach of statutory duty.

INM publishes Independent.ie and several leading newspaper titles, including the Irish Independent.

Mr Webb is the third former senior executive to sue the media group over the data breach controversy. Former chief executive Gavin O'Reilly and former director of corporate affairs Karl Brophy also initiated an action last August. The cases stem from concerns that privacy and data protection rights were breached during an alleged "interrogation" of INM data back-up tapes in 2014.

Mr Webb's name appeared on a list of 19 people against whom the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement believes searches of the data were made.

Mr Brophy's name was also on the list, as was that of Mr O'Reilly's personal assistant.

The data tapes were taken to the premises of another company outside the jurisdiction and interrogated over a period of months. In a High Court judgment earlier this year, Mr Justice Peter Kelly said the operation was allegedly directed by the then chairman of INM, Leslie Buckley, and paid for by a company owned by then major shareholder Denis O'Brien.

Other members of the board were allegedly not aware of the operation at the time, the judge said.

He observed that solicitors for INM described the names of those searched against as persons who may be regarded as having acted adversely to Mr O'Brien.

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Mr Buckley stood down as INM chairman in March 2018. Two months later, INM sued him for damages for alleged breach of duty and misrepresentation in connection with the data interrogation.

A court later heard the media group will be seeking to recover from Mr Buckley the cost of any damage caused by alleged wrongdoing on his part. Mr Buckley has rejected the accusations.

Mr O'Brien is no longer involved in INM, after selling his shares to Belgian-Dutch group Mediahuis, which completed a takeover of the company in July.


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