Latest news with #Act2010
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Cobh man to be sentenced for laundering €672k and owning a house boat from proceeds of crime
A Cobh man who was caught in Dublin laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct totalling €672,000 in cash and having an €86,000 house boat on the river at East Ferry in Cork will be sentenced on June 24. 39-year-old Gerard Hayes with an address at College Lawn, College Manor, Cobh, County Cork, had the case against him listed at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday. Judge Helen Boyle adjourned the case for sentencing of the accused at a later date. The defendant pleaded guilty to charges including the possession of cocaine for sale or supply and possession of large quantities of ammunition and silencers for firearms. He also admitted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to charges related to drugs and money-laundering. The most serious charge states that on February 20, 2024, at Mespil Road, Dublin 4, he did engage in converting/transferring/handling/acquiring/possessing/using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct, namely cash to the value of €672,000 while knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of crime, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. Defence senior counsel Elizabeth O'Connell previously applied for a probation report and a prison governor's report in advance of sentencing. 'There is a recent addiction issue and there has been engagement with addiction services. The case involved a considerable amount of cash. I believe it (probation report) would be of assistance,' Ms O'Connell said. Judge Boyle acceded to the application and remanded the accused in custody for sentencing. As well as the Mespil Road money-laundering charge there was a charge on the same date related to his home in Cobh involving €10,050. A third money-laundering charge related to €450 at Ballynoe, Cobh, on May 5, 2024. On May 5 also he had cocaine for sale or supply at Ballynoe and permitted the possession of cocaine in his car. Another money-laundering charge was admitted by Mr Hayes in respect of €62,800 in cash at Ballydaniel, Ballymore, Cobh, on February 10 last year. He also admitted counts related to cocaine dealing. There were also multiple counts related to ammunition and silencers for firearms. Finally, on February 12, 2024, at Ballynacorra River, East Ferry, Midleton, he admitted possession of proceeds of criminal conduct in the form of a boat, including contents and engine, with a value of €86,000. An outline of the facts of the case that gave rise to the total of 23 charges will be given by the investigating member of An Garda Síochána at the sentencing hearing.
Scotsman
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Scottish council's U-turn on decision to close four nurseries hailed as 'victory'
The move comes after series backlash from communities affected by the initial closure announcement. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A council said it plans to drop its decision to close nurseries temporarily ahead of an emergency meeting next week. Aberdeenshire Council announced earlier this year it planned to mothball four nurseries across the region. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The move was met with a major backlash by communities affected by the proposals, with parents accusing the council of acting unlawfully. The affected nurseries include Crossroads, Ballogie, Glass and Sandhaven. Campaigners protesting against the temporary closure of Glass nursery after the announcement to mothball the facility was made earlier this month | Supplied An emergency meeting on the proposed closures is still due to go ahead on Monday. But in an unexpected U-turn, just days before the meeting, the council revealed it intends to pause any future mothballing of nurseries underway while it examines official guidance on the process. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Head of Aberdeenshire Council Gillian Owen said while the unusual decision was made to state the administration's intention ahead of the official meeting, next steps would 'still require to be considered through the decision-making process at full council'. Ahead of the meeting, Alexander Burnett, the MSP for Aberdeenshire West, had received confirmation from the Scottish Government the council should have held a public consultation, under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, before any decision was taken. The Act states councils should engage as 'early as possible' with families affected by proposals to mothball a nursery. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Conservatives MSP for Aberdeenshire West Alexander Burnett | Katharine Hay In letters sent to councillors ahead of the meeting, a parent group said: 'We firmly believe that the council has acted illegally and improperly when making the decision to mothball these settings and we would urge you to please consider our position in detail prior to the meeting. 'Crossroads Nursery is a thriving rural nursery which serves our local rural community, this is not a nursery with struggling numbers or for which there is a low demand. This is a much-needed rural service which has provided exceptional care and the best start in life for our young people.' Mr Burnett described the council's decision to remove the plans from the table as 'a victory for our rural areas'. 'These nurseries help form the pillar of our communities and they are assets that we must keep open across Aberdeenshire,' the MSP said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I am pleased Aberdeenshire Council has listened to the concerns of parents and has also agreed to review its mothballing policy, which I have also been campaigning for.' Mr Owen said: 'The administration is minded to seek a review of our mothballing guidance to incorporate a consultation process with parents. 'We acknowledge the strong feelings concerning the four settings and appreciate the concerns of parents who highly value their local early learning facilities. We are trying to balance the needs of children and families, with a challenging financial position – but it is critical we do this in the right way. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We will be recommending that we pause planning for all future mothballing activity currently underway, whilst we examine the guidance. Whilst we have been engaging with parents, we need to consult at a much earlier stage to inform the decision-making process, and we will explore how to integrate this into the procedure. 'We will also recommend reversing the budget decision identifying this as a saving in our 2025/26 budget process and seek to identify the saving from elsewhere.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Kildare woman (20) charged over alleged €16,000 mobile text scam fraud
Abbie Kinsella (20), of The Green, Earl's Court, Kill, Co Kildare, appeared before Tallaght District Court on Friday morning. The court heard that while she currently resides in Kildare, she was living in Dublin at the time of the alleged offence and was arrested and charged there. Garda O'Connor told Judge Patricia McNamara that the alleged victim received a text message purporting to be from the Eir mobile network, warning that his phone service would be cancelled unless he paid an outstanding bill. Believing the message to be genuine, the man provided his banking details - but later discovered that more than €16,400 had been withdrawn from his account. Garda O'Connor stated that €4,900 was allegedly transferred into Ms Kinsella's Revolut account. Ms Kinsella is charged with an offence under Section 7(1) of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. Refusing jurisdiction, Judge McNamara said: 'I do not consider this to be of a minor nature to be dealt with summarily.' She directed that a book of evidence be prepared and served within six weeks and sent the case forward to the Circuit Court. Ms Kinsella was remanded on continuing bail and is due before Tallaght District Court again on June 26 at 10am.
Sunday World
15-05-2025
- Sunday World
Limerick man pleads guilty to money laundering over home renovation work
Richard Treacy (36) Downey St, Garryowen, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty and will be sentenced A Limerick man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to a money laundering offence relating to renovation work carried out at his home. The matter was originally listed for trial and expected to last two weeks, but at the Special Criminal Court this morning, Richard Treacy (36) entered a guilty plea to the charge. Treacy, of Downey St, Garryowen, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty that he, between January 1, 2014 and January 12, 2021, knowing or being reckless as to whether renovation work carried out at his home address was the proceeds of criminal conduct, did disguise the true source of the property. The offence is contrary to section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding over the three-judge, non-jury court, put the matter back to July 21 next for sentencing.
Sunday World
30-04-2025
- Sunday World
Travel agent and husband allegedly caught smuggling €340k out of Ireland for crime organisation
Ukrainian businesswoman Iryna Bandarieva and Ihor Shandar were caught red-handed at Dublin Airport's Terminal, gardai claim A Ukrainian travel agent and her husband remain in custody after allegedly attempting to smuggle €340,000 out of Ireland for a criminal organisation three weeks ago. Gardai claim that businesswoman Iryna Bandarieva, 69, and Ihor Shandar, 60, were caught red-handed at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1 on April 10 and are awaiting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. They were refused bail at Dublin District Court two days after the arrest and charged with money laundering offences. They have lodged High Court bail applications, which will be heard next week. They appeared again at the District Court today and were remanded in continuing custody by Judge Maire Conneely to appear again on May 28. Iryna Bandarieva It follows a joint investigation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Revenue. The couple with an address in Betova, Kiev, Ukraine, face duplicate charges under section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010, which carries a maximum 14-year sentence on conviction. They are accused of possessing €340,000 in crime proceeds but deny the allegations. With the help of a translator, the businesswoman told the court the money was from their life savings. "My husband and I are planning to challenge this case in court. We have documents to prove the source of the money is legit". Objecting to bail at their first hearing on April 12, Detective Vincent Jaffray and Kate Gilligan had told Judge Anthony Halpin that the GNDOCB received confidential information about a transnational crime group involved in money laundering and drug trafficking. The couple's luggage was checked, and officers found €170,000 in €50 notes and 17 bundles of €10,000 each among the clothing in Mr Shandar's luggage. Some €167,000 was found in Ms Bandarieva's bag. Another €7,000 was in their hand luggage. The seized cash The officers believed €340,000 in the bundles was proceeds of crime and that the pair were taking it out of the jurisdiction. They arrived in the country the previous day. Detective Jaffray said that when interviewed, Mr Shandar claimed they came to Ireland for a sightseeing trip. The court heard they arrived in Ireland from Nice, France, and used a bank card to pay for a hotel. The court heard the defendants had recently moved to Italy and claimed the money was to buy a property in Cyprus. Iryna Bandarieva The gardai said they were set to fly there on Thursday and, following a 12-hour stopover, get an onward flight to Milan, Italy, where they had lived recently. The bail hearing was told that court Ms Bandarieva's business, Dolce Travel, was still operating in Ukraine and that she had family in the UK. Their lawyer said they would fight the case. The court heard Ms Bandarieva had trust issues with banks. The defence described her as a lady of good character with no prior convictions who had worked all her life.
