The Government inspector appointed to investigate ownership of shares held by two foreign companies in Bula Resources (Holdings) plc, has been unable to serve notice of legal proceedings on the former Bula chairman, Mr James Stanley, the High Court was told yesterday.

Mr Shane Murphy, counsel for the inspector, Mr Lyndon McCann, said a representative of the inspector had travelled to Moscow to serve notice of the proceedings on Mr Stanley personally but had been unable to do so.

Mr Murphy said the High Court had, on December 19th last, granted liberty to serve proceedings on Mr Stanley out of the jurisdiction at an address in Moscow or elsewhere in Russia.

Attempts to effect personal service had so far proven unsuccessful, he said.

Counsel said Mr McCann's representative had spoken to Mr Stanley's secretary in Moscow. He asked for liberty to serve notice of the proceedings out of the jurisdiction on the secretary and on Mr Stanley's son. Mr Murphy said the latter was also in Moscow.

Mr Justice Geoghegan issued an order altering the manner of service of proceedings and granted liberty to effect service on Mr Stanley's secretary and his son. He adjourned the matter for two weeks.

Mr McCann has informed the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, that he will not have completed his investigations by Friday next, the date on which he was asked to report by the Tanaiste. It is now likely to be another three to four weeks before the report is completed.

Mr Stephen Barker, a London solicitor who represented Mr Stanley when Mr McCann sought to interview him in Moscow, said yesterday that Mr Stanley and his son, Brendan, were in Eastern Russia, some two time zones east of Moscow. He said Mr Stanley's secretary was present in their Moscow office only when Mr Stanley was present. "They are not going to be in Moscow for another two or three weeks," he said.