NEW legal proceedings involving Bula mine will begin on February 4th, 1997. The case is expected to take at least four months, the High Court was told yesterday. The first Bula case ended last month after 277 days in the High Court, the longest hearing in the history of the State. Judgment is expected before Easter.

The new, separate proceedings before Mr Justice Barr are being taken by Bula Ltd (in receivership), Bula Holdings, Mr Richard Wood and Mr Michael Wymes. The defendants are the receiver Mr Laurence CrowIcy, Northern Bank Finance Corporation Ltd, Ulster Investment Bank Ltd, Allied Irish Investment Bank Ltd and Mackey and Schnellmann Ltd, an engineering company.