Ireland: 'Lawyer' Gilligan accuses CAB of money-laundering

By Tim Healy
Friday January 25 2008


Self-styled lawyer John Gilligan yesterday claimed that if he had paid a €2.5m tax bill, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) would not be seeking to take over his family's properties.


And the convicted drug dealer also accused the CAB of money laundering by taxing the proceeds of crime.

Mr Gilligan is representing himself at legal proceedings being taken by the CAB to appoint a receiver to a number of properties, owned by him and his family.

On the third day of the High Court hearing yesterday, he claimed he was served with a €2.5m tax bill while in prison in England and if he had paid it, he would not be facing legal action.

He claimed to know of 25 individuals, including Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, who he believed had been told "give us a few quid and they (CAB) will go away".

He asked: "Has that happened in this country, or am I dreaming?"

The CAB is seeking to appoint its legal officer, Frank Cassidy, as a receiver to maintain and rent out properties owned by the Gilligan family.

It believes that unless a receiver is appointed the properties, including the Jessbrook Equestrian Centre at Enfield in Co Meath owned by Gilligan's wife Geraldine, could lose value or be subjected to unrecoverable damage or destruction costs because they are not insured.

It also claims that two houses in Lucan and another in Blanchardstown, owned between John and his children, Tracey and Darren, are not well-maintained and uninsured.

The court heard yesterday that Mrs Gilligan has lived in Jessbrook since 1994 and, as far as she was concerned, her husband's income came from gambling and lawful sources, and not the proceeds of crime, as the courts have already found.

She said she still lives at Jessbrook and provided receipts for heating oil for it and for a repair which was carried out to the electronic gates. She had come up against "a brick wall" in trying to get insurance for Jessbrook because the CAB had Mr Gilligan's assets frozen.

She also claims that her daughter Tracey runs a bar in Spain but her name is on the legal documents in case anything should happen to her daughter.

Mr Gilligan, who has again discharged his legal team during court proceedings, has complained he and his family were never given a hearing in the original court application to seize their property.

Appealing

They are appealing that decision to the Supreme Court and he believes these latest proceedings should not take place pending that hearing, which the CAB disputes.

Darren Gilligan, in his affidavit, said he lived at the family home, in Corduff Avenue, Blanchardstown, and rented out a house he owns with his father, at Weston Green, Lucan, for €1,300 per month.

He was unemployed and, after paying €5,000 cost of refurbishing the house, he used the remainder of the rental income to support himself and his two children, aged 5 and 11. He had been refused unemployment assistance.

Mr Cassidy, the only person to give evidence yesterday, said attempts had been made since 1997 to have a receiver appointed to properties, but he believed they had been "successfully thwarted" by the Gilligans through various legal cases.

Mr Cassidy said that in 1997 the first attempt to appoint a receiver was made by the-then chief bureau officer, Facthna Murphy. He had expressed concern about the properties after Darren Gilligan allegedly threatened to burn one out.

The case continues today.

- Tim Healy

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/lawyer-gilligan-accuses-cab-of-moneylaundering-1273263.html