Sir Paul Judge counter-sues against ENRC over leaking allegations

Sir Paul Judge, a City grandee and a former member of ENRC, the multi-national mining company, has issued a counter-claim against the company for breach of contract and libel, in the latest twist in this long-running saga.

The latest legal action comes in the wake of ENRC’s announcement in July that it was issuing a claim for breach of fiduciary duty against Sir Judge, alleging that he had leaked confidential documents that constituted a breach of his duty of a director and caused substantial losses to the company. The company alleges that Sir Judge leaked a confidential email about the appointment of Mehmet Dalman as the chairman of the company and that he was also the source for a Financial Times story in July regarding the SFO’s service of section 2 notice. Sir Judge has denied both of these claims.

Sir Judge has countered against ENRC’s claims, claiming that the press release from ENRC regarding the litigation was defamatory and that the action had caused him “immense hurt, distress and embarrassment”. He is claiming for unspecified damages for the libel and £62,500 for the failure to comply with his contract of service with the company after he was not re-appointed as a non-executive director of the company in March 2013.

ENRC said, according to the Financial Times: “We have continuing confidence in both the strength of our claim and the court process itself. In addition, we intend to file a rigorous defence of the counterclaims made against the company.”

A lawyer for Sir Paul Judge declined to comment on the allegations.

The High Court cases continue.