Two insurance companies who claim they paid out €731,000 to a Co Meath couple are seeking the return of the money. They have subsequently received information alleging it had been falsely claimed the woman was suffering from breast cancer.
According to sworn evidence from one company executive opened to a High Court judge, an informant had alleged the wife did not have breast cancer but that her mother did. It was alleged a tissue sample of the woman's mother was brought to Ireland from Egypt and may have been submitted for analysis to the Mater Private Hospital.
Last week Ms Justice Carroll granted orders to Scottish Provident Ltd (SPL) and New Ireland Assurance Co plc restraining Emad and Gehan Massoud, of Wood View, Brownstown, Ratoath, Co Meath, from reducing their assets in Ireland below €730,996.
It is claimed that Mr Massoud runs a Wellman Clinic at Eccles Street, Dublin.
Yesterday, Ms Justice Carroll continued the restraining order for a further week. SPL has claimed to have paid out €685,658, while New Ireland claims to have paid €45,338.
Mr Paul Coghlan, for the companies, said his clients would agree to a "slight variation" of the order to allow a total of €16,500 to be withdrawn from an account of the Massouds in Ireland.
Counsel said Mr Massoud was being held in custody and was attempting to raise money for bail. The couple were seeking to draw down €10,000 from their bank account together with €5,000 for legal expenses and €1,500 for living expenses. Ms Massoud was also arrested but was released on nominal bail.
Subject to the Massouds swearing affidavits disclosing the whereabouts of the €730,996, the insurance companies would agree to a withdrawal of a total of €16,500.
In an affidavit, Mr John Finnegan, SPL's head of finance and "money laundering officer", said the Massouds, in June 2000, had secured a life policy giving them both life and critical illness cover of £540,000. On November 14th 2001, SPL was notified Ms Massoud had undergone an operation to remove a cancerous lump from her breast.
Medical reports and records produced in support of the claim indicated Ms Massoud was referred by her husband to a Mr Mohammed Hilal FRCSI, of the Nobel Clinic, Eccles Street, Dublin, and Mr Hilal subsequently conducted a lumpectomy. A number of documents submitted to SPL purported to have been signed by Mr Hilal of "the Nobel Clinic."
The medical documents included a report from the Department of Cellular Pathology at the Mater Private Hospital dated October 10th, 2001.
In a further affidavit, Mr Mohammed Sayed Hasan Hilal, FRCSI of College Grove, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, who said he and his wife had been friends of the Massouds, said signatures on documents submitted to the insurance companies were not his.
He had never treated Ms Massoud and she had never consulted him for medical advice.