Italian judicial authorities are seeking the support of the Irish courts to investigate the affairs of a company with links to one of the Republic's most controversial businessmen, Mr John Carway.

The Italian authorities are investigating the Alpha Club, a pyramid selling operation that claims to have offices in 17 countries and is estimated to have collected fees worth £200 million (€290 million).

The Italian authorities are seeking information, held in Ireland, which they say they need for their investigations. It includes the details of bank accounts of two clients of AIB.The media were excluded from District Court proceedings relating to the matter which were heard by Justice Gerard Haughton.

Last year the Italian authorities raided the Alpha Club offices in Turin, seized assets, froze its bank accounts and closed its operations. Fair trade regulators in Australia and New Zealand have also prosecuted the firm and moved to end its operations.

The Alpha Club operates by enticing thousands of pounds from customers for "discount travel deals" which authorities believe they could have got for free. The main way customers actually benefit from membership of the club is by getting paid up to £450 each time they recruit someone else - a typical pyramid-selling technique.

Mr Carway, who came to prominence in the CountyGlen affair in the mid-1990s, is reported to have strong links with the Alpha Club. The club's Portuguese operation was based in a hotel run by Mr Carway. ...

In 1994 Mr Carway took control of CountyGlen, a shell company quoted on the Irish exchange. A High Court inspector later found that he was central to a £1 million fraud at the company.

Mr Carway has always disputed the findings of the report and a legal action for damages taken against Mr Carway by CountyGlen was later settled.