Alison O’Riordan
A Dublin man and his former partner have been charged today at the Special Criminal Court with a total of 44 money laundering offences, which include using crime cash for a deposit on a house.
Accused James Walsh (37) is also charged with stashing €19,000 in a wardrobe at his home. The 44 charges, which involve amounts ranging up to €62,000, were read out to the two accused by the court registrar, which took over an hour.
Walsh and Lisa O'Hara (32), both with an address at Wheatfield Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, appeared before the non-jury court today charged with 44 offences under Section 7 of Criminal Justice Act 2010. The alleged offences all occurred within the State between January 1st, 2015, and February 28th, 2017, both dates inclusive.
Walsh is charged with 24 non-scheduled offences and O'Hara is charged with 20 non-scheduled offences. All the charges relate to money laundering and terrorist financing within the State.
House deposit
Amongst the charges, both accused are charged with possessing, using, converting, transferring or handling cash to the value of €60,000, using it as a deposit for the purchase of a house at Wheatfield Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on various dates between June 1st, 2016 and January 31st, 2017, within the State, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Furthermore, Walsh is charged with concealing the location of cash to the value of €19,000 within a wardrobe at Wheatfield Avenue, Clondlakin, Dublin 22 on January 24, 2017, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Two detectives gave evidence to the Special Criminal Court of the two defendants' arrest, charge and caution. The two accused were each served with books of evidence.
O'Hara was remanded in custody until May 27th with consent to bail on her own bond of €10,000 and subject to a number of conditions, including the requirement to provide a phone number to gardai at which she can be contacted and to surrender her passport nor to apply for further travel documents.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge David McHugh, said he hoped to hear on the next date whether either of the accused would be taking a trial date. He remanded Walsh in custody to the same date.
