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FORMER FIANNA FÁIL TD Ned O’Keeffe has been released without charge, less than 24 hours after he was arrested by Gardaí.
O’Keeffe had been arrested yesterday afternoon on suspicion of using a false invoice to claim for mobile phone expenses while he was a member of the Dáil.
Gardaí confirmed this morning that a man arrested in Mitchelstown in Cork yesterday was released from Cobh Garda station last night.
A file is to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
A spokesperson for Fianna Fáil has said the party will not be making any comment on the issue at the moments as it is a matter for the Gardaí.
O’Keeffe, 69, served as a Fianna Fáil TD for Cork East from 1982 until 2011 when he retired from politics.
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If he’s charged and convicted, he should be sentenced to time in prison. That’s what happened across the pond to 4 MPs and 2 House of Lords peers, David Chaytor, Eric Illsley, Elliot Morley, Jim Devine, Paul White and John Taylor who were also found to have fiddled with their expenses. If prison is good enough there, it’s good enough here too.
Paul! What you are saying is 100% correct, however the British people are far more intolerant to crooked politicians than the Irish people are! When you see the likes of Michael Lowry being voted in time and time again proves my point! It seems to me that the majority of the Irish public condone corruption!!
Let’s not cod ourselves. The Irish public think the same way as the politicians – What’s in it for me!
Say what you like about the current government – but we really don’t have an alternative with those pack of crooks
The lesser of two evils then Paul! Is that what you’re saying? Sad but true! It’s reached the stage when we’ve finally shown that we aren’t able to run the country ourselves!
yep, we can’t, hence the Troika
FF aren’t a political party, just a criminal front, for carpet baggers to enjoy tax payers funds. They were a political party 50 years ago, but not since.
What are ye talking about? Of course we have an alternative. If ye stop believing the crap that RTE aka Government Propaganda Mouthpiece, and our newspapers, owned by the established elite, keep spouting at us. We have Sinn Féin and ULA and many socially conscience independents. The media in this country is controlled by the establishment. These 2 blocks are the only parties willing to take them on. Of course they discredit them at every opportunity. Wake up guys! Please :)
@Reada,
T to be fair, the OP was referring to credible alternatves
So am I Jim. Look up in your dictionary what “credible” means, and if you think it applies to any branch of the FiannaGaeLabour party, may I suggest you look up “Deluded” too :P
Aherne payments corelated with periods of high political drama. Still more questions, but good work Irish Times.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0428/1224315294896.html?via=mr
We see Denis O’Brien buzzing like a rotund honey bee drawn to the nectar laden flower that’s Fine Gael.
As long as politicans hold the power of economic life & death, there are those who will pay handsomely for their benevolence.
This happens to the determent of all the other participants in an economy or society.
Sean Barrett explains this better than I can:
Regulatory Capture -
I believe that it is a position of good government that faction and favour do not afford benefits to the few which cost the many. Economists like me refer to this favour to the few as “rent seeking”. A citizen will see this manifested in Ireland through lobbying, corruption and other forms of political and economic manipulation. Ultimately, there is a concept which I have tried to articulate throughout my career – the concept of regulatory capture. This is when an organ of the state becomes faction and curries favour with the government and the individuals it is charged with the job of regulating, administering or funding. As such, that entity fails to serve the citizens and begins to work to its own aims. While it has been highly evident of late in Irish society, this problem is not isolated to our shores. In fact, Richard Posner of the University of Chicago and the Federal District Court has articulated this very clearly in many articles and essays. It is his view that such agencies of government act to the detriment of the people. He states that if they are allowed to engage in activities to augment their size and scope and to increase their budgets and responsibilities beyond which has been articulated by the legislature, they are acting wholly beyond the will of the people and should be abolished. Regulation is required in the world as we do not have perfect information and as such, it can be an improvement to the efficient allocation of resources. I don’t stand against regulation. I stand against the abuse and empire building which has become the habit of many regulators and regulatory officials. I stand for your right to access, to support and to clear, open and transparent government. I advocate the compulsory licensing of pressure groups and lobbyists by the Oireachtas, to include documents details of representations and delegations etc. We cannot allow the parliament to be bypassed by these groups.
If this results in a court case, and if he is found guilty, you have to wonder if a risk was taken over a small amount , what risks were taken over larger amounts!
When are we going to see the bankers and other FF heads face justice for the mess we are in. I can’t understand why it’s taking so long? Will anyone ever do prison time?
Majority of Irish are involved in corruption,- black economy, tax and vat avoidance.
How many property owners have never had work done and paid cash, no receipt, no tax, no vat, and possible social welfare fraud.?
How many tradesmen have never done a nixer.?
This is just a drop in the ocean! From dodgy invoices to unvouched expenses to disgustingly high pensions being still paid to corrupt politicians, none of them ever seem to be held accountable, makes me sick!
His pension should be stopped This guy is notting but. A theft of Irish people’s money for how long has he been robbing us????? Nearly thirty years in the Dail…. This is the type that
Destroyed our country .. Hope he rots in hell …
If it was me or you we would be sacked, fined and jailed. But this CORRUPT, GREEDY SCUMBAG walks away?!
If our ancestors saw what this country has become it would no doubt bring a tear to their eye. Its sickening
Vote FF. Scratch my back and i’ll scratch your and we’ll make each other’s problems go away. Let that crap to the Irish people, not the likes of Ned and Bertie etc etc etc.
Only in Ireland anywhere else he would be behind bars.
File on its way to the DPP. Who says he won’t be behind bars at the end of it?
David. You have a very misplaced sense of faith in the Irish legal and justice system, over the last 90 years there is no reason to suspect it being capable or interested in applying the law fairly and without favour.
Did we expect him to be charged, I don’t think so, punishment is for the ordinary people as they like to call us.
How is it he looks exactly the same as he did when he was arrested?Was he tipped off??
That photo isn’t current. Silly person.
What is current is that these public representatives represent themselves and their cronies.I dont live in Ireland anymore so who are you calling silly.Your the one thats voting in these scumbags
‘you’re’
Lock him up….!
I suppose he will be putting in a bill for free Legal Aid too
Surely the need for a new political party now is blindingly obvious?
Fraud starts at the very top of Government. Further details by search in Google for ‘Windle stops swindle’.
Cheers
The Common Informer
The smear campaign continues.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Last time the lynch mob wrongly accused Ivor Callely and he had to go to the high court to clear his name.
Ever wonder who is behind planting these stories in the media?
Ivor the scumbag is even worse than Ned!
Except he didn’t clear him name.
O Keefe’s real crime was his refusal to represent the residents in Rathcormac on the spurious claim that they didn’t vote for him (had he a spy camera in the local election centre?) which is the job that he was elected to do. Delighted to see this crawling low life finally brought down to earth.
He will submit a bill for Legal Aid now I suppose
Ye all have the guns out for nasty Ned get the lot of ‘em, much more damage has been done and money creamed in the years of fallers fina Gail is no better once they get the taste of the good life who is going to stop them.. WHO.. You don’t want to make me angry..
I’m going, these threads are wind up for empty heads and idle hands..
Agree with u Mary. But also don’t forget that even if the present incumbents are swindling their expenses it can not be proved as the details are no longer subject to FOI act as long as they agree to the unvouched system. They could be as bad but we’ll never know about it. Very convenient !!!
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