The State versus Thomas Murphy – redux

Possibly relevant to Brian’s earlier post… and Mitchell Reiss’ admission…  An iol report provides an update on the long-running saga of the State versus Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy.

First a re-cap from a previous post.

In October 2008, the “culmination of intensive investigations by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the UK’s Serious and Organised Crime Agency” saw more than €625,000 in cash and cheques confiscated in Ireland as the proceeds of crime, while £445,000 (573,000 euro) and nine properties in the north-west of England were recovered by UK authorities. There were also reported tax settlements with the Criminal Assets Bureau “for a figure understood to be over €1m” by Patrick and Frank Murphy, brothers of Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy – who has been named previously as both the UK’s richest smuggler and a former Provisional IRA Chief of Staff.

From today’s iol report

Today, Murphy’s counsel Mr Tony Mc Gillicuddy BL told the court that his client was not present in court because of the adverse weather conditions. He said his client would sign on at a garda station to show his bona fides.

Mr Mc Gillicuddy also told the court that judicial review proceedings challenging the decision to try him in the Special Criminal Court are expected to be given a date for hearing in the High Court next month.

Mr Murphy is being prosecuted on foot of an investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau. The nine charges allege that he failed to furnish a return of his income, profits or gains to the Collector General or the Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004.

He was returned for trial to the Special Criminal Court in 2008 from Dundalk District Court and he challenged the return at the High Court in November 2008. The High Court found that Murphy’s rights had been breached but ruled that the trial should go ahead.

Murphy has launched a new High Court bid to prevent his trial. The court remanded Murphy on continuing bail until February 3.

Of course, “Tom Murphy is not a criminal. He’s a good republican.”  That quote from Gerry Adams in full (March 2006)

“Tom Murphy is not a criminal. He’s a good republican. I read his statement after the Manchester raids. I believe what he says. He’s also, and very importantly, a key supporter of the Sinn Féin peace strategy and has been for a very long time.”

But then Adams also said when asked, by RTÉs Tommie Gorman, whether he believes Murphy’s denial of membership of the IRA Army Council,

“If he denies being a member of the IRA, then I have to accept that.”

Interestingly, if my rough grasp of geography is correct, Gerry Adams’ ‘move’ to Louth could result in him being Tom Murphy’s TD…

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