David Haigh: Assets order for ex-Leeds director

Mr Justice Males today imposed an asset freezing order on former Leeds United managing director David Haigh at a High Court hearing in London.

The judge was told that Mr Haigh was facing allegations of “false invoice fraud” in criminal and civil proceedings in Dubai.

And lawyers representing a finance company which has taken civil court action applied for a freezing order relating to any assets Mr Haigh owned in England and Wales.

They said Mr Haigh owned a house in Cornwall and was thought to have money in a number of bank accounts.

Mr Justice Males imposed an interim asset freezing order.

He said he was satisfied that GFH Capital had a “good arguable case” and said there was evidence of a “risk of a dissipation of assets”.

The judge also said Mr Haigh was known to operate through “overseas trusts and offshore companies”.

He said one company, Sport Capital, was based in Guernsey.

The judge, who was told of Mr Haigh’s links to Leeds, heard that a similar asset freezing order had already been made by a court in Dubai.

Mr Haigh has denied wrongdoing - and his lawyers today objected to Mr Justice Males making an asset freezing order.

Lawyers told Mr Justice Males how Mr Haigh had said he had been “framed”.

And the judge said Mr Haigh might mount a “full defence in due course”.

Mr Haigh had been in prison in Dubai since May, the judge heard.

Lawyers said after the hearing that Mr Haigh had been remanded in custody pending trial after being accused of false invoice fraud in criminal proceedings.