Former Fine Gael politician and TV presenter Frank Kilbride ...
A former Fine Gael politician and businessman charged with laundering over €2.6m involving companies linked to notorious deceased gangster Cyril ‘Dublin Jimmy’ McGuinness has been remanded in custody this evening.
Frank Kilbride (70), of Aughakilmore, Ballinalee, Co Longford, was remanded in custody by Judge Kenneth Connolly after appearing at a sentencing hearing at Longford Circuit Criminal Court this afternoon to face three counts of money laundering.
The two-time Longford county mayor had previously signed guilty pleas in the District Court last December arising out of incidents between September 2017 and March 2019.
The charges stem from a long-running investigation conducted by detectives in Cavan that date back over six years ago.
The first charge stated that on various dates between September 27, 2017 and November 26, 2017 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €10,000 – while knowing that, believing that or being reckless as to whether or not the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
The second charge stated that on various dates between October 5, 2017 and March 27, 2018 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €1,727,420.28.
Frank Kilbride was told by Judge Kenneth Connolly he is facing an inevitable custodial sentence after details surrounding his involvement in a €2.6m money laundering scheme was relayed before a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court.
The third related to various dates between November 30, 2017 and March 15, 2019 during which Kilbride engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €867,143.80.
Opening the State’s case at a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court, counsel for the prosecution Shane Geraghty BL, outlined how gardaí carried out a number of searches under warrant in Northern Ireland and Buxton in the UK in connection to the abduction of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney.
During the course of those searches a partial AIB bank statement in the name of a company known as WOI Plant Hire & Supplies Ltd was discovered.
He said the finer points of that document contained a “certain narrative” that related to a second company: TJO Developments.
Just over two weeks later, the court heard Kilbride contacted gardaí to make a voluntary statement detailing how, in 2009, the former hotelier founded TJO Developments.
That approach, it was revealed, came after Kilbride received documentation from the Revenue Commissioners for an outstanding VAT bill.
Kilbride, the court heard, told gardaí how he had been approached in the spring of 2017 by a “third party” with a view to purchasing the company from the accused for a €3,000 sum.
It was revealed a number of months later when Kilbride was in a bank in north Longford that a bank official informed him how TJO Developments was still in his name and that money was “going through” it.
Upon making the necessary changes, it was revealed how the very next day a dark blue Mercedes pulled up outside Kilbride’s residence in north Longford which was being driven by Cyril McGuinness, otherwise known as ‘Dublin Jimmy’.
Kilbride told gardaí how the late feared criminal exited the car with two men to advise him that there was €100 left in the account, telling the former politician to hold onto the three figure sum for “medical expenses”.
Kilbride, who the court heard took those words as a threat, was told by the third party who purchased TJO Developments to “pass no heed” on the violent criminal who was “only blowing steam”.
The court heard how a “very complex” investigation involving gardaí from Cavan later came across two bank accounts which were associated with TJO Developments.
The first of those was registered to a Permanent TSB branch in Longford which, it emerged had €1.72m “moved through” it with a second bank account from a Bank of Ireland branch in Granard, Co Longford seeing over €867,000 being moved through its books.
Both accounts, Judge Kenneth Connolly, was told were used to ship money in and out to companies linked to ‘Dublin Jimmy’ across Ireland, the UK and Europe.
Gardaí also came across a personal bank account of Kilbride’s that had been used to launder a total of €10,000.
Kilbride was arrested on in November 5, 2022 who, over the course of six interviews he had been “careless and absolutely stupid” in becoming embroiled in the money laundering racket.
In defence, Vincent Heneghan SC, said his client, though full of “shame and remorse” had been under a barrage of intimidation and coercion.
Mr Heneghan said Kilbride had succumbed to a “very violent and intimidating” man and was someone who at 70-years-old now toiled under a myriad of health issues.
“He is a man who is effectively isolated and has fallen from grace in a society he had a great deal of respect in,” he said.
He asked the court to factor in Mr Kilbride’s signed guilty plea which he had come forward on from the District Court and the “trivial” monetary gain he made from an eight figure money laundering scheme.
Judge Connolly, upon hearing that submission, said a custodial sentence was unavoidable given the scale of the sums involved.
“I don’t want to give any false hope,” he said.
“The money is simply too large. €2.6m is a lot of money and I can’t see any way of avoiding it.”
As Mr Kilbride was led away with his head bowed, Judge Connolly remanded the former TV presenter in custody to reappear at a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court next Tuesday.
