Case No. 1498Corporate governance dispute (unlawful appointment of directors) · Co. Dublin
High Court challenge to Islamic Cultural Centre board membership strongly disputed
Dr Abdel Basset Elsayed's High Court challenge to the appointment of four new directors of the Al Maktoum Foundation CLG, which owns the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in Clonskeagh, Dublin, was strongly disputed by the foundation's legal team. The mosque and school at the centre have closed, and Mr Justice Brian Cregan adjourned the case to next month.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court28 May
3 reports - Convicted18 Jun
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports49 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe dispute concerns the alleged unlawful appointment of new directors to the Al Maktoum Foundation CLG. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe mosque in Clonskeagh has been closed for a month. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDr Abdel Basset Elsayed is a Meath-based medical consultant, director of the company since 2012, and secretary since 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whatIn August 2023 there were only three directors of the company. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe five directors are all resident in Dubai but have their places of business in Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe five directors are Ahmad Tahlak, Hesham Abdulla Al Quassim, Khalifa Aldaboos, Mohamed Musabeh Dhahi and Zahid Jami, all of Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe company's auditor confirmed only Dr Elsayed and Mr El Sayegh were directors after the other resigned in August. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe auditor recommended the board include at least two directors based in Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- whatIn January, Mr El Sayegh received a directive from the Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment to add four directors. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe Al Maktoum Foundation was incorporated in 1997. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe mosque at the centre had also closed (irishtimes.com)
- whatDr Abdel Basset Elsayed has been a director of the foundation company since 2012 (irishtimes.com)
- what27 teachers in the Clonskeagh school collectively resigned (irishtimes.com)
- whatA High Court challenge was brought to a change in board membership of the company running the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe dispute arose from the alleged unlawful appointment of new directors to the foundation company. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe mosque and school at the centre have closed. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDr Elsayed sought orders requiring the CRO to rectify its register by removing the allegedly unlawfully appointed members. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe foundation's counsel said Dr Elsayed is not a director of the company. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoseph Sallabi BL told the court he has a contract as in-house counsel with the Al Maktoum Foundation. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMany of the foundation's deponents are based in the United Arab Emirates. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boy sexually abused his six-year-old sister and took photographs of her (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe uploaded 64 images of the child abuse to Discord (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boy had unsupervised internet access from a very young age (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boy first viewed pornography at age six (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe children's father was deceased (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe children were no longer attending school (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boy is currently in a residential treatment centre for minors who sexually offend (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boy had unrestricted internet access from age five (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe boy was manipulated by others online to post the photographs (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe girl has been living with a foster family since gardaí called to her home in December 2022 (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe girl said she would like her brother to write her a letter of apology (irishtimes.com)
- whereClonskeagh is the primary place for holding Eid al-Adha (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe centre is located in Clonskeagh, Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe boy is from the south of the country in a rural area (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe family were very isolated in a rural area (irishtimes.com)
- whenOn January 20th, Mr El Sayegh passed a purported board resolution authorising the appointments of four individuals. (irishtimes.com)
- whenBetween April 19th and June 7th, Mr El Sayegh submitted forms to the CRO appointing the five new directors. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe offences occurred between June 2022 and December 2022 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe girl was instantly identifiable to gardaí as the subject of the uploaded images (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe pleaded guilty to six incidences of oral rape (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe pleaded guilty to nine charges of production of child pornography (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe pleaded guilty to five charges of distribution of child pornography (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Brian Cregan is hearing the case and said he will likely make orders under company law if the five directors do not respond. (irishtimes.com)
- courtDr Elsayed sought orders requiring the Companies Registration Office to rectify its register by removing the allegedly unlawfully appointed members (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Cregan adjourned the matter to later this month (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Cregan said Mr Sallabi would have to bring a separate application to reopen the school and mosque (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Brian Cregan adjourned the case to next month. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMs Justice Mary Ellen Ring adjourned the case to 21 July 2025 for further reports (irishtimes.com)
- otherA corporate body in Dubai is appointing the directors (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 18 Jun2025Boy (13) uploaded sexual abuse photographs of sister (6) to Discord social media channel
Plea and sentencing adjournment; victim impact statement read into record; judge requested further reports on the impact on the eight-year-old victim before sentencing.
victim, 8, femaleaccused, 16, male - 18 Jun2025Challenge to Islamic centre board membership change is strongly disputed, court told
First report of the High Court challenge; details the dispute over director appointments, the closure of the mosque and school, and the adjournment for the foundation's response.
victim, Dr Abdel Basset Elsayed, male, non-irish (judged from name)Dr Abdel Basset Elsayed - 4 Jun2025School closed due to dispute over control of Islamic cultural centre in Dublin, court hears
Adds details on the closure of the school and mosque, the collective resignation of 27 teachers, the new directors' objection to Dr Elsayed's legal standing, the claim that a corporate body in Dubai is appointing the directors, and the judge's ruling that reopening the school and mosque would require a separate application.
victim, Dr Abdel Basset Elsayed, male, non-irish (judged from name)Dr Abdel Basset Elsayed - 28 May2025Dispute over control of Clonskeagh Islamic centre reaches High Court
Provides details of the initial High Court hearing before Mr Justice Cregan, names the five directors (Ahmad Tahlak, Hesham Abdulla Al Quassim, Khalifa Aldaboos, Mohamed Musabeh Dhahi, Zahid Jami), identifies Mirza El Sayegh as the director who made the appointments, and sets out the legal basis under section 173 of the Companies Act 2014.
victim, Dr Abdel Basset Elsayed, male, non-irish (judged from name)Dr Abdel Basset Elsayedsuspect, Mirza El Sayegh, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Mirza El Sayeghsuspect, Ahmad Tahlak, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Ahmad Tahlaksuspect, Hesham Abdulla Al Quassim, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Hesham Abdulla Al Quassimsuspect, Khalifa Aldaboos, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Khalifa Aldaboossuspect, Mohamed Musabeh Dhahi, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Mohamed Musabeh Dhahisuspect, Zahid Jami, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Zahid Jami