Paddy McKillen, a close associate and former business partner of U2 frontman Bono, is facing legal action in France. McKillen is alleged to have colluded with others to defraud Maybourne Hotels, which owns London establishments Claridge's, The Connaught, and The Berkeley, of £1.2 million.
The lawsuit, filed in Aix-en-Provence, France, by Maybourne Hotels, claims that approximately 50 invoices for building work were submitted for services that were not rendered at their London hotels. Instead, the work was allegedly carried out at Chateau La Coste, a French estate owned by McKillen, which includes a vineyard, hotel, and several restaurants.
If found guilty of fraud by the Aix-en-Provence court, McKillen, 71, could face a sentence of five years' imprisonment and a fine of €375,000 (£320,000). Bono and The Edge, U2's guitarist, purchased Dublin's Clarence Hotel in 1992 with McKillen. However, no members of U2 are understood to be involved in the current lawsuit.
McKillen, originally from Belfast, has had a significant career in hospitality and was a former head of the Maybourne Group. He has also been associated with artist Damien Hirst, who has described McKillen as a 'genius and great friend and wonderful human.' McKillen has declined to comment on the allegations.