GUINNESS STARTS COURT ACTION AGAINST SAUNDERS

  Guinness Plc &lt;GUIN.L> said it has
  started court proceedings against former chairman and chief
  executive Ernest Saunders and non-executive director Thomas
  Ward for recovery of 5.2 mln stg.
      The money was paid to Ward via Marketing and Acquisition
  Consultants Ltd in Jersey.
      Guinness said earlier it would propose a resolution at the
  annual meeting in May to remove Saunders and Ward as directors
  of the company.  Earlier this month, lawyers for Ward told a
  Jersey court that Ward saw the payment as his reward for
  services in last year's takeover battle for &lt;Distillers Co
  Plc>.
      Guinness has said that both men breached their fiduciary
  duty in authorising the payment.
      Saunders resigned from his executive positions at Guinness
  in January in the aftermath of a government enquiry into share
  dealings during the battle for Distillers but retained his
  position on the board.
      No spokesman for Guinness was immediately available for
  comment on the statement.
  

