One interesting point to note in the case of two brothers, who own a hotel in Newry, and who have been given 4-year suspended jail terms for tax evasion and have been banned from directing any company for seven years – they also paid £3,399,042 for unpaid income tax and interest due, relating to fraudulent tax returns in a period from 1971 to 1992, as well as a combined fine of £2.2million – is contained in the video report linked here [RealPlayer file]. According to the report the judge in the case mentioned in his sentencing a number of references he had received, including one from the Member of Parliament for the area, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy – who is now the NI Regional Development Minister – and the Ulster Unionist Party MLA Danny Kennedy.. references which he said “outlined [the brothers] good character.” Update As the BBC reports today, “Two leading MLAs have ‘no regrets’ about giving character references to two multi-million pound tax cheats”
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