Tigers take Duffen to High Court
PREMIER league football club Hull City have begun legal proceedings against former chairman Paul Duffen after accusing him of spending company money for his own personal use.
Hull City also alleges Mr Duffen’s company received payments from agents in return for using those agents to deal with the transfer of players.
Mr Duffen denied the allegations at a preliminary hearing at the High Court in London today. A date for the trial of the issues has not been fixed.
An order freezing Mr Duffen’s assets made last Friday was lifted and substituted with an order to value and place a charge on a property but orders for disclosure and charges over a property have been agreed.
Mr Duffen also agreed to hand over computer files.
Duffen’s barrister, Lexa Hilliard QC, told Mrs Justice Proudman that although Mr Duffen had consented to the orders “this was not to be taken as an admission by my client of any of the allegations against him”.
Hull City have said in a statement: “The company believes that Mr Duffen has acted in breach of his employment contracts and fiduciary duties as a director, through the use of company monies for his own personal expenditure and other wrongdoings.
“The company also believes that he has acted in breach of his employment contracts and fiduciary duties as a director, through the payment of certain monies by third party football agents to Mr Duffen’s services company, in return for which Mr Duffen procured that Hull City contract with the agents for business.
“Consequently, on 15 January last, the company successfully sought and obtained a High Court order freezing Mr Duffen’s assets.
“The company also wishes to clarify that, contrary to a tabloid newspaper article today, Mr Duffen has not issued any legal proceedings against the company and Hull City does not believe he has any basis whatsoever for doing so.”
Last December, new chairman Adam Pearson, installed after Mr Duffen departed from the club, said he was calling in auditors to try and sort out the club’s finances, after their 2008 figures revealed a shortfall of around £16m.
