QIH exec speaks publicly on abduction

 

Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) executive Kevin Lunney has spoken about the abduction ordeal he endured publicly for the first time in a BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight interview aired last night.

The father-of-six of six recounted how a masked gang kidnapped him from outside his home, how he almost escaped from his clutches, and even went into detail how the men slashed his body with a knife, doused him with bleach, broke his leg, and branded him with the lettering 'QIH'.

While locked in the boot travelling to a location believed to be south of the border, Mr Lunney recalls hearing a discussion with one man saying: “'Boss, this man's resisted and we've hit him', [he] was reporting back to somebody, I don't know who,” said Mr Lunney.

Under extreme duress a demand was made that Mr Lunney resign from QIH.

“At one stage he said: 'we have been watching you, we have seen you with your little daughter with the GAA top and you are going to do what we say'.”

 

 

But before they released him, Mr Lunney suggested that the men were seemingly operating under a clear set of orders that included having “rough him up” before ultimately dumping the now badly injured Fermanagh businessman by a side of a rural backroad in Cornafean.

His brother Tony told the BBC programme that had Mr Lunney not been found he does not believe his sibling would have survived the cold night.

Mr Lunney was treated in hospital after his leg was broken in two places, and one of his arms beaten black. He suffer also cuts to both sides of his face, and as seen on the BBC interview, he has now grown a beard in a bid to cover up the scars.

He said of the ordeal: “I felt that I was going to die on the road. I felt I was trying to get to the light in the house, a lot of things went through my mind and I almost gave up. I gave up a few times and came back again, thought about the kids and thought about Bronagh and surviving.”

Finally, he expressed hope that the investigation into his attack will result in the persons involved being brought to justice, including those instructing their actions.

“There's a lot of police activity and hopefully that will bring fruition, but it needs to get to the person who is paying for this.”

 

'The Business needs Kevin'

In an interview with The Anglo-Celt published in this week's paper, Chief Executive Liam McCaffrey spoke of the important role Mr Lunney continues to play in the QIH businesses. Despite still recovering from his injuries, Mr Lunney made a welcomed return to the QIH fold last week.

But Mr McCaffrey moved to temper immediate expectations given the impact of what his friend and colleague has endured. “[Mr Lunney] just went around the offices, talked to the staff there, had a bite of lunch and headed home after. It was more to break the ice and get over that first thing of everything hanging over and what-not.”

Mr McCaffrey further stated: “The business needs Kevin. That's the straight up answer. We need him in the business and he is determined to get back, I know that. So I'm sure as his injuries heal he'll integrate himself back back, be it over the coming weeks or months. By the new year I expect he'll be fully back I'm sure.”

 

QIH bosses meet Garda chief

Separately QIH released a statement yesterday evening following a meeting between company bosses and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in Monaghan yesterday afternoon.

While they welcome that “progress is being made”, they say: “QIH directors and their families continue to live in fear. The community and staff of QIH need to see positive action now to give them the confidence to speak out against those perpetrating this campaign of intimidation.

“The directors of QIH, the staff and the community are putting their trust in the police services and authorities on this island but they need to see the perpetrators and more importantly the paymaster brought to justice in the short term.”

As a result, QIH management are calling for the “urgent establishment” of a dedicated special cross-border, highly resourced task force to tackle criminality in the region.

“We noted to the Commissioner our concerns that prior to the most recent attack on Kevin, appropriate resources and attention were not applied to addressing the multitude of acts of intimidation and violence against QIH directors and staff. We also expressed our concern that failure to bring the orchestrator and paymaster of this campaign to justice would leave this peaceful community in a limbo status of fear and paralysis that would undermine the local economy and the rule of law and order in this region,” the spokesperson added.