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Significant payments will continue to Chinese authorities for years following a deal struck to enable the return of Irish businessman Richard O’Halloran from China.
Mr O’Halloran was permitted to leave China on Friday following an enforced stay of almost three years after becoming embroiled in a legal dispute involving the chairman and main shareholder of his Dublin-based company.
He initially flew to China in 2019 during the fallout from a crowdsourcing deal for an aircraft owned by his employer, China International Aviation Leasing Service.
However, despite giving evidence against the firm’s one-time chairman Min Jiedong , who was convicted of offences relating to the deal, Mr O’Halloran was prevented from leaving.
At one stage, €30 million was demanded of Mr O’Halloran, while hundreds of thousands of euro were paid over to the Chinese authorities derived from income associated with the lease of the plane purchased under the original crowdsourcing deal.
Future commitments
Mr O’Halloran had to make two court appearances in Shanghai earlier this week to finalise and sign off on financial arrangements and future commitments to pave the way for the lifting of the exit ban.
It is understood the financial commitments relate to future payments from the income on the aircraft that was purchased with money raised from Chinese investors and leased to a Finnish airline.
The agreement is also understood to relate to the return of the aircraft to the Chinese authorities when the lease agreement ends in 2026. Monthly payments of more than $100,000 (€90,000) are currently being made to the Chinese authorities.
The Chinese embassy in Dublin, confirming that Mr O’Halloran’s exit ban had been lifted, tweeted on Friday that “it is expected that he continues to fulfil his pledges and commitment and undertake his corresponding legal obligations”.
The deal came at the culmination of a years-long diplomatic effort, centred on the Department of Foreign Affairs led by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney.
“This has been a difficult time for Mr O’Halloran and his family,” Mr Coveney said on Friday. “The Government has been actively engaged on the matter throughout and is delighted it has reached a successful result.”
Protracted process
His family were said to be delighted at the culmination of a protracted process, which saw them engage in high-profile lobbying for his release. It is understood that his wife, Tara O’Halloran, had been set to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs next week.
Mr O’Halloran, a father of four, is expected back in Dublin on Saturday.
However, there was criticism for the Government. Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews, who lobbied for Mr O’Halloran’s release, said he was “puzzled” that Mr Coveney expressed gratitude to the Chinese authorities for their help when they were responsible for his detention.
“It surprised me because it implies the Chinese authorities were blameless in the matter and clearly they weren’t,” he said.
“This was a negotiation between the Irish and Chinese authorities. The implication of that is that the Chinese authorities were controlling the process and a process that had no basis in law.”
Mr Andrews also criticised the Department of Foreign Affairs for not using the resources of the European Union’s delegation in Beijing to help in Mr O’Halloran’s case.