SAOIRSE32

BBC

Money may be ‘linked’ to £26.5m robbery

A sum of money found in Belfast may be linked to the Northern Bank robbery, police have said.

The cash was found at the Newforge Country Club and police say it may be an effort to distract investigations into the £26.5m Belfast robbery.

Four people are being questioned after £2m, £60,000 of it in Northern Bank notes, was seized in the Irish Republic. Four were released earlier.

Both cash seizures are being tested to see if they are linked to the raid.

On Friday night, two men arrested earlier this week in Cork in connection with alleged money laundering were released without charge.

Two men from Derry, arrested in Dublin on Wednesday, were also released without charge, pending a report to the DPP.

A man was arrested on Friday night after police received reports of cash being burnt in a garden near Cork city.

Martin McGuinness said the arrests were not an embarrassment

Earlier, 17 bags of sterling bank notes were removed from a house near Cork.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy told a news conference an additional £175,000 had been surrendered to police in Dublin on Thursday night.

He said police were still in the early stages of their investigation.

“We see a subversive element in the movement of this money,” he said.

“We are following quite a number of lines as to where the money may have come from, and naturally enough, one of those relates to the Northern Bank robbery.”

Sinn Fein MP Martin McGuinness denied that the ongoing arrests, charges and criminal investigation were a massive embarrassment to his party.

“Well I haven’t really heard anything thus far that would change my assessment, but that does not mean that we won’t reflect on events as they unfold in Dublin and Cork over the course of the coming days,” he said.

“I want to hear the full facts, not the fiction, of what we are dealing with at the moment.”

Resignation

In a separate development, a former Sinn Fein vice president, Phil Flynn, resigned from an Irish government committee over his links with a company at the centre of the investigation.

He has also stepped down as chairman of the Bank of Scotland’s Irish division.

Mr Flynn said he had done nothing wrong and had no involvement in laundering money for anyone.

Meanwhile, a man arrested in connection with alleged money laundering has been charged with membership of the Real IRA.

Don Bullman, 30, of Wilton, Cork, was one of three men arrested after 94,000 euros were found in a car in Dublin.

A police officer told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Friday he believed the notes were part of an IRA money laundering operation.

The cash was in a box of washing powder in a Northern Ireland registered car.

The father-of-three was remanded in custody.

Examiner

The Money Lender

By Eoin English, Seán O’Riordan and Dan Buckley
18/02/05

THIS is the man gardaí are questioning in connection with money laundering for the IRA after £2.3m was found in his house in Farran, Co Cork.

Ted Cunningham, 57, is a director of at least 10 companies, including one called Wolfe Tone Holdings Ltd.

Originally from Macroom, Co Cork, Mr Cunningham is a registered moneylender. He set up a private lending agency in 1995.

He has company offices in Ballincollig, Co Cork, registered with the Companies Registration Office as Financial and Legal Clients Ltd.

These offices were raided at 9am yesterday and documents seized.

Ted Cunningham’s bungalow in Farran was later searched and £2.3m was recovered hidden in a green compost bin at the back of the house. Mr Cunningham shares the house with his partner Cathy Armstrong and his son, Tim.

Both Ted Cunningham and Ms Armstrong were arrested yesterday and detained for questioning in relation to money laundering under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. They can be held for up to 72 hours. They were being questioned last night at the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork City.

Tim Cunningham was not arrested and there is no suggestion of any impropriety on his part. Ted Cunningham was placed under surveillance by Special Branch detectives after he was witnessed attending a meeting with a pair of Bulgarian arms dealers who travelled to Ireland six months ago.

It is believed he had secured contracts to launder as much as €10m in republican money over a period of time, not just from IRA sources but also possibly the INLA.

Mr Cunningham is listed in the Companies Office as being a director of nine companies:

* Chesterton Mortgage Co Ltd.

* Insurance Concepts Ltd.

* Tullybeg Retirement Village Ltd.

* Beechlawn Golf Course and Driving Range Ltd.

* Highbury Holdings Ltd.

* Firmount Developments Ltd.

* Midlands Projects Ltd.

* Wolfe Tone Holdings Ltd.

* Cave Hill Holdings.

There is no suggestion of illegality on the part of any of these companies.

Irish Examiner> Breaking News

Ahern adviser resigns after gardaí raid home and office

18/02/2005 - 10:09:56 PM

A Government adviser tonight resigned from a number of key positions after he was embroiled in a multi-million Euro money-laundering investigation.

Industrial relations trouble-shooter Phil Flynn stood down as chairman of the national implementation body overseeing decentralisation as well as from the board of health insurer VHI and as chairman of the Bank of Scotland in Ireland.

Mr Flynn’s home and office was raided by detectives after it emerged that he was a non-executive director with Chesterton Finance, which is being investigated by gardaí.

He said tonight: “I don’t believe that the money has been laundered through Chesterton.”

“I have no involvement with money laundering, full stop - for the Republican movement or for anybody else.

“The sensible thing is to step aside. This will sort itself out and when it does you’ll see me back.”

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had earlier said through his spokeswoman that Mr Flynn’s position on the decentralisation implementation body was being considered by him,

Chesterton Finance LTD, is owned by Cork business man Ted Cunningham who is currently helping Guardai with their inquiries into the money laundering operation.

Hundreds of gardaí seized over £2.3m (€3.3m) in dozens of nationwide searches which police chiefs have so far refused to link with December’s £26.5m (€38m) sterling Northern Bank heist in Belfast.

Gardaí said tonight that they released one of the men they were questioning under the Offences Against the State Act in Co Cork. Officers also warned that the investigation is extremely complex, and will continue for some time but no further details will be released for operational reasons.

Garda spokesman Supt. Kevin Donohoe said: “It should be clearly understood that this is an extremely complex investigation with many facets which require further extensive enquiries.

“While Gardaí are satisfied with the extensive progress made within the last three days, it can be expected that this investigation will continue for some time.

“This remains a very fluid situation and both the money laundering aspect and subversive involvement will be vigorously pursued.

“To this end, the investigation teams have been in consultation with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and members of the PSNI in Northern Ireland.

“Where breaches of the law are suspected, complete investigation files will be submitted to the DPP for consideration.

“In light of this, Gardaí will not be disclosing any further detailed aspects of this investigation.”

Mr Flynn said earlier today that Mr Cunningham had approached him to join the board of Chesterton Finance LTD and offered him a 10 percent stake to revamp the firm.

The 62-year-old former trade unionist also revealed that officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau quizzed him yesterday and seized files he had relating to the company.

There is no suggestion that Mr Flynn was involved in any wrong-doing. (O RITE!)

Examiner

The Sinn Féin activists, the money lender and the £26m bank heist

By Fionnan Sheahan, Political Correspondent
18/02/05

SINN FÉIN is facing the biggest crisis in its history after two party activists were arrested in a garda swoop on suspects believed to be laundering some of the cash stolen in the Northern Bank raid.

Seven people were arrested and over £2.3m and €94,000 was seized in Cork and Dublin.

Up to 100 officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau, Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, Special Detective Unit and Crime and Security Section were involved in the arrests.

A former Sinn Féin councillor, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of those arrested.

Another Sinn Féin activist, George Hegarty from Douglas, Cork, was arrested after gardaí seized £60,000 in a raid on his home at 4 Donnybrook Cottages. Mr Hegarty is in his 50s.

A registered money lender, Ted Cunningham, 57, from Farran, Cork, and his partner, Cathy Armstrong, were also arrested and detained after £2.3m was recovered in a compost bin at the rear of their bungalow in Farran, Cork. The arrests took place at 11am yesterday morning after a 9am raid on Mr Cunningham’s business premises in Ballincollig.

Opposition parties last night said the developments had serious consequences.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the arrests raised grave questions for the party: “In view of Sinn Féin’s repeated denials of Sinn Féin or IRA involvement in any criminal activity, the leadership of Sinn Féin must make an immediate statement on this development and on its relationship with those involved.”

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said the garda seizure of large amounts of money was an “astonishing development”.

“Whilst we await more details to emerge, it is of extreme concern that the garda operation was specifically directed at IRA money laundering.”

Describing the developments as “sensational”, Defence Minister Willie O’Dea said the arrests and seizures were part of a longstanding garda investigation. The minister held back, though, from commenting on the potential political fallout at this stage.

DUP Assembly Member Ian Paisley Jnr claimed Sinn Féin and the IRA had been caught “red-handed” in a massive money laundering operation.

A Sinn Féin spokesman said he was aware of reports arrests and speculation that the police action was linked to the bank robbery.

“Sinn Féin’s position on this robbery is clear,” he said. “Over the last four weeks we have seen people rush to judgment time and time again. We would urge people to exercise caution on this occasion and allow the truth to come out.”

The first of the arrests were made shortly after 4.30pm on Wednesday. Three men - two from Derry and one from Cork - were detained at Heuston station in Dublin. The Corkman was found carrying €94,000 in cash. The two men from Derry are believed to have strong republican links.

The man arrested in Passage West was last night being held at Togher garda station in Cork city under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, while Mr Hegarty was detained at Mayfield Garda Station. Mr Cunningham and Ms Armstrong were being questioned at the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork. The three arrested in Dublin were being questioned at separate city stations.

All seven can be held for up to 72 hours.

There were also unconfirmed reports of garda raids in Dundalk. There were no arrests, but a number of documents were seized.

A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland insisted it was too early to link the seizure with the Northern Bank raid before Christmas.

“It is too early to say at this stage if any of the money found was connected to the Northern Bank robbery but both forces are in contact,” she said

Clean sweep: seven arrests and £2.3m seized

Wednesday:

4.30pm: Three men, two from Derry and one from Cork, arrested at Heuston station. The Corkman was found carrying €94,000 in cash. The two men from Derry have strong republican links.

9pm: Two men arrested in Cork - one in Passage West and the other in Douglas. George Hegarty, who is in his early 50s, was arrested at his home at Donnybrook Cottages, Douglas where £60,000 in Northern Bank notes was discovered. It’s believed Mr Hegarty has links to Sinn Féin.

The man arrested in Passage West was last night being held at Togher Garda Station in Cork city. Mr Hegarty was detained at Mayfield Garda Station.

Thursday

9am: A financial premises in Ballincollig, Co Cork, is raided by detectives who remove a number of files.

11am: Financier Ted Cunningham and his partner, Cathy Armstrong, were arrested at a house at Church View, Farran, nine miles west of Cork city. Gardaí discovered over £2.3 million (€3.2m) in cash.

Gardaí also secure a number of other premises across the city.

5pm: Local reports of garda raids in a number of premises in Dundalk. There were no arrests, but a number of documents were seized. However, the garda press office refused to comment.

Irelandclick.com

Fury at UUP leaflet

by Joe Nawaz

A controversial new campaign leaflet distributed by the Ulster Unionist Party implies that Catholics are less industrious than Protestants, denies that nationalists are the victims of employment discrimination and claims that the PSNI will become ‘unfair’ with a 50/50 religious quota.

The leaflet, entitled ‘It’s Not Fair’, features a list of areas in which the UUP claim that unionists are losing out to nationalists.

Representatives across the political spectrum united this week to condemn the leaflet, which many see as an opportunistic attempt to win ground from the DUP.

Water charges, the leaflet states, will affect unionists more because “rates and water charges will be based on the capital value of your home, penalising those who have worked and saved to own their home.”

Jim Barbour, spokesperson for the ‘We Won’t Pay’ anti-water charges campaign refuted the leaflet’s allegations and described its authors as “reprehensible”.

“This is utterly abusive. Never mind religion – people, rich and poor, across the board will be affected by the water charges.

“I am disgusted that the UUP would stoop to these levels.”

———————-

A controversial new campaign leaflet, distributed by the Ulster Unionist Party, has upset a leading anti-water charges campaigner who says he’s “disgusted” that the party would “stoop to these levels” while South politicians have angrily lashed the flier as “offensive” and “hateful”

Jim Barbour, spokesperson for the ‘We Won’t Pay’ anti-water charges campaign has refuted claims contained in a new Ulster Unionist Party election leaflet and described its authors as “reprehensible”.

The leaflet’s most contentious claim is that unionists will be particularly badly affected by water charges because they have “worked and saved to own their home.”

“This is utterly abusive. Never mind religion – people, rich and poor, across the board will be affected by the water charges,” said Jim Barbour.
“I am disgusted that the UUP would stoop to these levels.”

On alleged discrimination against state schools, the leaflet claims, “proposed school budgets will reduce yearly funding in the state sector by three pounds per pupil and increase funding in the maintained (Roman Catholic) sector by five pounds per pupil.”

The controversial pamphlet goes on to claim that employment discrimination against Nationalists in the North is a “lie”.

“The government accepts the republican lie alleging discrimination against nationalists.

“It’s time for the Equality Commission to publicly state that there is no discrimination against Catholics.”
South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey dismissed the leaflet as “offensive” and said he was amazed at its use of language.

“For a start, their assertions are incorrect, sectarian and very dangerous and divisive.

“In areas like education, there has been a lot of cross-party co-operation to fight budget cuts and to get a better deal for all our children,” he said.

The South Belfast councillor added: “For them now to come out with this is disgraceful. Catholics pay rates and work hard as well and for them to say that we are getting a better deal is simply ridiculous.

“This leaflet is deeply offensive to an entire community.”

Cllr Maskey went on: “How does this hateful language square with their new-found, bleeding-heart despair for their own community?

“I despair at the maturity at these people – the bottom line is that this is offensive and sectarian and will do a lot of damage.”

A UUP insider said that he believed that the party was wrongly attempting to “outdo the DUP”.

“I got this through my letter box a few days ago,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe it. Even if you ignore the sectarian aspect of the comments, for us to attack the British government after we called for direct rule is hypocritical at best.

“This is not going to win any voters back from the DUP and it certainly won’t appeal to our own voters.”

Prospective Alliance councillor for Laganbank, Allan Leonard, said that he found the wording of the leaflet remarkable.

“I can’t understand the mentality at work here. The UUP have produced a hateful and ludicrous document. To imply that Protestants have less rights than Catholics is just crazy and harmful.

“Is this the kind of stuff that the UUP will be producing from now on?”
Speaking from the UUP headquarters yesterday, an Ulster unionist spokesperson denied accusations that the leaflet was sectarian.

“The intention of the leaflet is certainly not to be divisive. It is flagging up legitimate concerns that ordinary unionist people hold.

“If people choose to see it as sectarian, then that is their choice,” he said.

Journalist:: Joe Nawaz

Daily Ireland

Leitrim families launch campaign to prevent suicide

Three mothers whose sons took their own lives are launching a new campaign to raise awareness of suicide in the south of Ireland.
Formed by three families in the small Co Leitrim village of Dromahair, the STOP (Suicide: Teach, Organise, Prevent) campaign hopes to curb the massive suicide rate nationally.
The three families live within a five mile radius in Dromahair. Their sons’ deaths took to nine the total of deaths by suicide in Co Leitrim since 2004.
“If there were nine deaths by road traffic accidents in Leitrim there would be an outcry,“ said a STOP spokesperson. “There are huge drink driving and speeding campaigns - and rightly so - but since suicide remains hidden nothing gets done about it.”
Two years ago 444 people died from suicide in the south of Ireland, this exceeded the number of deaths by road traffic accidents, which was 336 in 2003.
10,000 more people attempted suicide. Of those who died 80 per cent were male. Tragically, suicide is one of the top three causes of death in the 15-24 age range in Ireland but STOP says that “through education and public awarenss” they hope to stamp out the tragic phenomenon.
Mary and John Tiernan lost their only son Gary in January 2004. He was just 24.
“Gary was the last person you would have expected to have done something like this,” his mother said yesterday.
“He loved his car and mobile and cigarettes. He was bubbly and cheerful and was always acting the clown but he was shy and sensitive behind it. He had a job and had had a couple of relationships.
“There were a few girls who liked him more as a friend than as someone to go out with it. That’s really all he complained about,” Mrs Tiernan said.
Gary went shopping for clothes on Saturday afternoon and was watching TV with his father late that night. When his father went to bed Gary said he would follow him up. The next morning John Tiernan noticed his son’s bed hadn’t been slept in and when he saw a light on in the garage outside he went to check it out.
John discovered Gary had hanged himself.
Now the Tiernans and other families in the area are trying to start a national awareness campaign on the phenomenon of self-inflicted death which has affected so many people across Ireland.
Over 400 delegates from grieving families to doctors, community groups, youth workers and other agencies are attending the STOP conference at the Abbey Manor Hotel in Dromahair today and tomorrow.
“We still don’t know exactly what format our support group will take yet,” Mrs Tiernan explained. “We are talking to people who are involved in all aspects of suicide and will judge then how we can best serve people feeling suicidal and those coping with it.”

Derry Journal

New Police Probe Into ‘Franko’ Hegarty’s Killing

Friday 18th February 2005

Stevens Inquiry and the PSNI have launched a new investigation into the murder of a senior Derry Provisional IRA member who was executed for being an informer, the ‘Journal’ has learned.

Officers from the team still led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens are looking at the role allegedly played in the murder by another informer - the agent known as Stakeknife Freddie Scappaticci.

Scappaticci, from Belfast, ran the IRA’s internal security unit for more than 20 years before being stood down in the late 1990s.

Derry man Frank ‘Franko’ Hegarty (45) was found murdered on a border road on May 25, 1986.

Although his family has always denied he was an informer, last year a former handler with the British Army’s secretive Force Research Unit confirmed that Hegarty had worked for the unit.

Martin Ingram detailed his work with Hegarty in his book “Stakeknife: Britain’s Secret Agents in Ireland”.

Hegarty, agent handling number 3018, had previously worked as an informer inside the Official IRA.

Ingram alleged that Scappaticci was brought in from Belfast and interrogated Hegarty at a house in Inishowen before carrying out the murder.

Hegarty confessed to having worked for the British Army and that he had pinpointed a large shipment of weapons from Libya which was seized by Gardai in Sligo and Roscommon in January 1986.

The Derry man was taken out of the North on the day of the weapons find, but returned several months later claiming he had not been an informer.

It is alleged that he became the victim of another British Army FRU informer Scappaticci.

Earlier this month Sir John Stevens confirmed there would be ‘developments’ in his inquiry into Scappaticci soon.

The Journal has learned that one of those developments is a new inquiry into Hegarty’s murder.

A senior PSNI source confirmed: “PSNI officers and Stevens Inquiry detectives are working together on a range of issues relating to the agent Stakeknife.

“One of the murder inquiries that has been re-assessed is the killing of Franko Hegarty.”

After Mr Hegarty’s body was discovered on the Cavan Road near Castlederg, the IRA issued a statement which tallied with the facts of the quarter-master’s recruitment by the British Army.

In a reference the Libyan arms find, the IRA added: “We have now executed Mr Frank Hegarty. Responsibility for the danger in which he finally placed himself rests not with his handler or the British government but with the Dublin, now a partner with Britain in the recruiting of agents and spies.”

Two weeks ago John Stevens told reporters of the latest developments in the Scappaticci inquiry.

“Right now we’re assessing where we are with the allegations concerning Stakeknife, specifically what we will continue with and what might be handed back to the PSNI,” he said.

“In the next month or two we will be looking at which murders we will be investigating and his activities. We will have a good look at the allegations we will investigate and which ones we can ask the PSNI to carry on with.

“I’m loathe to put a time frame on an investigation of this kind because, when I first came to Northern Ireland 16 years ago, I thought I’d be there six weeks,” he said.

It’s understood the Stevens Inquiry officers and PSNI detectives will decided in the next few weeks which organisation will take primacy in the Hegarty murder inquiry.

IOL

Gardaí arrest man ‘who was burning sterling bank notes’

18/02/2005 - 18:27:02

Gardaí tonight arrested a man in his 40s in Cork in connection with the discovery of a number of assault rifle rounds.

The arrest was made as part of a massive Garda operation against money laundering in the week of the raid of the Northern Bank in Belfast.

Officers made the arrest in the town of Passage West following a tip-off that a man was burning sterling bank notes in his backyard.

The man was taken from his home to Gurranberhaer Garda Station in the north side of Cork city.

A Garda spokesman said he was being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

BreakingNews.ie

Cancer-linked colourant prompts product alert

18/02/2005 - 14:18:09

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has advised consumers to throw out or return some 39 food products which contain an illegal, cancer-linked, red food dye.

The colourant, Sudan Red 1, was used to manufacture chilli powder. A total of 39 food products, available on the Irish market, are implicated.

The Food Safety Authority details are published below.

Sudan Red 1, an industrial dye, has been banned as a food colourant throughout Europe since 2003 due to its carcinogenic properties. The FSAI is advising consumers that if they have these products, they should either throw them out or return them to the shop where they purchased them.

The Authority is working with Irish retailers and manufacturers to immediately recall any affected products and remove them from the market. A list of known products is available on the Authority’s website www.fsai.ie and will be updated on an ongoing basis until the Authority is satisfied that no contaminated product is available on the Irish market.

The Authority’s warning follows information received from the Food Standards Agency in the UK concerning the discovery that Premier Foods (UK) had used chilli powder contaminated with Sudan Red 1 in the manufacture of Worcester sauce. The chilli powder used had been imported from India into the UK. Premier Foods supplies to various branded products and manufacturers of other food products, such as ready meals and soups.

The FSAI has been informed that, following investigation, UK Premier Foods was found to have distributed the colourant to six manufacturers in Ireland, of which five distribute products here.

While 39 products are currently identified in Ireland, at least 350 food products may be implicated in the UK. It is unknown, at present, how many of these may be available on the Irish market.

Companies who have received contaminated product are being informed, and are in the process of recalling products in Ireland and the UK. Retailers are also removing the products in question from shelves.

Dr. John O’Brien, Chief Executive, FSAI, said: “The use of Sudan Red 1 in foods is totally unacceptable. Consumers have a right to be protected from unnecessary exposure to contaminants in the food supply.

“While the colourant Sudan Red 1 has been found to have carcinogenic properties, it would have to be consumed over a long period of time in order to pose a significant health risk.

“Nonetheless, it is very important that all manufacturers, retailers and consumers follow the advice being issued by the Authority in order to ensure that there is no further consumption of the affected products in Ireland.”

Dr O’Brien added that it is illegal to use Sudan Red 1 in food or food products and that new European legislation places a legal obligation on food businesses to not only have recall and traceability systems in place, but to provide information to consumers on recalls, and to recall products from them when there are identified health risks.

A key element of that legislation is for all food business operators to take responsibility in guaranteeing that products being supplied to consumers are safe and legal.

List of affected products in the Irish market:

- Cross and Blackwell Worcester Sauce, all sizes, Best Before Dates: 2008, 2009 & 2010

- Pot Noodle, Beef and Tomato (Single Pack), all date codes

- Pot Noodle, Bacon Sizzler (Single Unit), all date codes

- Pot Noodle, Beef and Tomato (4 Pack), all date codes

- Pot Noodle, Beef and Tomato (Single Unit) 33 % Extra Free, all date codes

- Pot Noodle, Beef and Tomato King Pot , all date codes

- Coleman’s seafood sauce

- Dawn Fresh cottage pie

- Tesco chilled cottage pie,

- Tesco Value chilled cottage pie

- Bird’s Eye healthy options chicken hotpot, frozen

- Bird’s Eye Traditional Meals Shepherd’s Pie, frozen 375g, all date codes

- Green Isle Ready Meal Beef Casserole, frozen 400g

- Green Isle Ready Meal Chicken Casserole, frozen 400g

- Green Isle Ready Meal Creamy Beef & Peppercorn, frozen 400g

- Heinz Weight Watchers Shepherds Pie, frozen 320g, all date codes

- Heinz Weight Watchers Beef Hotpot, frozen 320g, all date Codes

- Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken/BBQ Sauce & Potato, frozen 330g, all date codes

- Heinz Lamb Hotpot, frozen 340g, all date codes

- Heinz Shepherds Pie, frozen 340g, all date codes

- Waitrose* Pasta Leek & Bacon Chilled

- Waitrose* Pizza Thin & Crispy Cheese and Tomato Chilled 430g

- Waitrose* Pizza Thin & Crispy Cheese and Tomato Chilled 280g

- Waitrose* Lasagne Mediterranean Veg Chilled

- Aunt Bessies Cottage Pie Frozen 800g, all date codes

- Aunt Bessies Beef Cobbler Frozen 450g, all date codes

- Iceland Good Choice Chicken casserole & parsley mash ready meal Frozen 400g All date codes

- Iceland Good Choice BBQ chicken & potato wedges ready meal Frozen 400g All date codes

- Iceland Good Choice Chicken Hotpot Frozen 400g & 450g All date codes

Iceland Minced Beef Hotpot Frozen 500g All date codes

Iceland Cumberland Pie Frozen 500g All date codes

Iceland Sausage & Mash Frozen 400g All date codes

Iceland Seafood Food Sauce Ambient 540g All date codes

Iceland Smokey Bacon Pasta Cooking Sauce Ambient 440g All date codes

Iceland Sausage Casserole Cooking Sauce Ambient 450g All date codes

Iceland Red Wine Cooking Sauce Ambient 440g All date codes

* Supplied to Superquinn

Daily Ireland

Orangemen pull out of Cork parade

The Orange Order has pulled out of its planned St Patrick’s Day parade through Cork city.
In a statement released yesterday, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said it was withdrawing from the march “with deep regret”.
Daily Ireland revealed last week that the Orange Order had been controversially invited to parade through Cork on March 17 by the organisers of the city’s St Patrick’s Day festival.
However, the proposal caused anger in Cork, with several prominent politicians and church leaders threatening to boycott the event. In the light of this, the Orange Order decided to pull out of the parade.
Cork Sinn Féin Councillor Annette Spillane described the move as the correct decision.
She said, “The majority of people in Cork didn’t want the Orange Order coming down here on St Patrick’s Day and now they have pulled out, people are happy. There was a lot of animosity towards their involvement in the parade in Cork. It wasn’t because of sectarianism but because the citizens of Cork didn’t want a family day associated with bigotry.”
Cork-based Church of Ireland minister David Armstrong had threatened to boycott the city’s parade had the Orange Order taken part. However, he said he and his family would now go to the celebrations.
The Carrigaline cleric said, “This is a good day for Cork. The city’s St Patrick’s Day parade can now be a real family event. If the Orange Order had taken part, thousands of people would have stayed away. I can now look forward to going along to the parade in the same way I have for the past five years. The Orange Order is a bigoted organisation which has no business taking part in a family parade.”
Last night, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland branded as “cultural fascists” those opposed to Orangemen’s involvement in the parade.
An Orange Order spokesman said, “The Orangemen and their families who planned to go to Cork are no longer confident that their personal safety can be guaranteed by the authorities.
“We are also mindful that our presence could have become the focus of media attention and protest that might have detracted from the enjoyment of other participants and spectators.”
The proposed route the Orangemen would have taken would have led them past the national monument that commemorates hundreds of Irish patriots who died fighting the British.
Seán Martin, the mayor of Cork, said he was disappointed that the Orange Order would not be visiting the city on St Patrick’s Day. The Fianna Fáil councillor said he looked forward to the day when the Orange Order could parade through Cork as part of the city’s St Patrick’s Day festival.
Mr Martin said, “The issue became politicised and this has led to the Orange Order pulling out. I’m hopeful that the Orange Order could march through Cork some day without people trying to make political gain out of the situation. Everyone in Ireland should be respectful of other people’s traditions.”
Nobody was available for comment from the organising committee of the Cork St Patrick’s Day carnival.

Irish Examiner> Breaking News

Ahern associate linked with money laundering probe

18/02/2005 - 6:23:20 PM

A trusted associate of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is involved with a company at the centre of a major IRA money laundering probe, it emerged today.

Top banker Phil Flynn, 61, is a director in Chesterton Finance, the firm being examined in a massive cross-border police operation.

He is a former Trade Unions chief and Sinn Féin vice-president who invested in fledgling newspaper Daily Ireland.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the sharp-dressed troubleshooter brought in by the Taoiseach to handle some of the Government’s most sensitive issues.

IRA2

Campbell loses Real IRA appeal

FRIDAY 18/02/2005 13:36:59
UTV

A former director of operations of the Real IRA has
lost his appeal against conviction for membership of
an illegal organisation.

Liam Campbell from north county Louth had denied the
two charges but his legal team never challenged the
prosecution evidence and made no submissions on his
behalf.

The Criminal Assets Bureau had previously secured a
judgement of over 800,000 euros against Campbell for
suspected revenue offences.

Three appeal judges have dismissed his application for
leave to appeal for reasons the court says will be
given at a later date.

BBC

Man remanded on Real IRA charge

Cash was seized in Dublin and Cork

A man arrested during an operation in the Irish Republic against alleged money laundering has been charged with membership of the Real IRA.

Don Bullman of Wilton, Cork, was one of three men arrested after 94,000 euros were found in a car in Dublin. The two others have been freed without charge.

A police officer told a Dublin court he believed the notes were part of an IRA money laundering operation.

The cash was in a box of washing powder in a Northern Ireland registered car.

Father-of-three Mr Bullman, 30, appeared at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Friday and was remanded in custody.

Earlier this week, a total of seven people were arrested and £2m - £60,000 of it in Northern Bank notes - was seized during raids in the Irish Republic.

Others detained

The money is being tested to see if it is linked to the £26m Northern Bank raid in December.

On Friday, seventeen bags of sterling bank notes were removed from a house near Cork.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy told a news conference an additional £175,000 was surrendered to police in Dublin on Thursday night.

He said police were still in the early stages of their investigation.

“We see a subversive element in the movement of this money,” he said.

“We are following quite a number of lines as to where the money may have come from, and naturally enough, one of those relates to the Northern Bank robbery.”

The remaining suspects, who are being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, can be held for 72 hours before they are charged or released.

BreakingNews.ie

Money laundering: Man hands in money in Cork

18/02/2005 - 17:05:34

Huge amounts of cash could be stashed away as part of the IRA’s money laundering operation, Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said today.

He said he believed that people could have unwittingly taken delivery of the money in a bid to conceal it from detectives hunting the Republicans involved.

But he warned: “We ask that they come forward and tell us what they know instead of us coming knocking on their doors.”

Fears that the Provisionals could be using a nationwide network of individuals heightened after it was confirmed that one man walked into a Cork garda station and handed over £175,000 (€253,000).

Detectives are investigating claims he was given the money by a man now being questioned.

Mr Conroy said: “Other sums of money which have been moved through the banking system are also being followed up.

“We appeal to any person who has recently received large sums of sterling in perhaps dubious circumstances to take this opportunity to contact us.

“This may be a better alternative than us calling to them and carrying out searches.

“We would appreciate any help from the public on that front. We would encourage anyone with information relating to the investigation to contact us.”

Speaking at Garda HQ in Dublin, Mr Conroy confirmed that £2.3m (€3.3m) was found in a house in Co Cork, €90,000 in a car boot at Dublin’s Heuston Station and €70,000 in other searches in Cork.

He said computers and documents seized in searches in Dublin, Cork, Dundalk and Offaly were being examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau in a bid to trace more unaccounted money.

Detectives may also travel overseas on the trail of cash.

Mr Conroy said: “Our main occupation at the moment is dealing with matters in this jurisdiction but I’m not blind to the fact that we may very well travel overseas to investigate certain monies that may have gone there.”

Justice Minister Michael McDowell praised the work of the gardai in the operation.

He said: “The investigation been a massive success so far. The provisional movement is a colossal criminal operation laundering huge sums of money. Their mask slipped. The balaclavas came off.”

Mr Conroy said the nationwide operation had been planned for several weeks with cooperation from PSNI officers.

“This is a huge operation by the Garda Siochana and will need thousands of working man hours to bring this to a conclusion.

“To date this investigation has involved hundreds of gardai from national units and from local units in Dublin, Cork, Offaly and Louth.

“Naturally enough, we see a subversive involvement in the movement of this money.”

He said PSNI detectives would be examining the money in Dublin tonight and probing links with the Northern Bank robbery.

“We will be talking to them about the amount of money and the denominations we have recovered and hopefully something may follow from that.”

Mr Conroy refused to speculate on how much more money may be seized in the investigation.

“People may have received money unwittingly, perhaps in sterling, and they should be mindful that we are investigating large sums of sterling here.”

BBC ON THIS DAY: February| 18 | 1996

1996: Bomb blast destroys London bus

Three people are feared dead and eight have been hurt after a bomb exploded on a double decker bus in the heart of London’s West End.

The front of the Routemaster bus was destroyed by the force of the blast on the Aldwych near the Strand.

The bus had travelled over Waterloo Bridge along Lancaster Place and was passing a Ministry of Defence building and turning onto Aldwych when the bomb exploded.

The explosion comes just nine days after the IRA ended its ceasefire with a bombing in the Docklands area of London, which killed two people.

Scotland Yard says it received no warning of the explosion which happened at 2238GMT.

The blast, thought to have been on a New Cross to King’s Cross bus, could be heard five miles (eight kilometres) away and witnesses described devastation at the scene.

Six people have been taken to St Thomas’s Hospital. Three of the injured have “significant” head injuries.

A further two people have been taken to University College Hospital.

One man is “serious but stable” in intensive care while another was admitted with minor cuts.

Three of the casualties were in two cars in front of the bus when the explosion happened.

Paul Rowan, 31, a BBC employee, described how the bus was a tangled mess, with metal and glass scattered over about 50 yards.

“I saw one woman who looked in a very bad way. She was face down on the road with bad-looking head injuries. There was blood all over the place.”

Ten ambulances, five fire engines and four paramedic units were called to the scene.

A large area of the Strand was cordoned off amid fears over another device and police with loudspeakers warned people to move away or to stay inside restaurants, theatres and hotels.

Charing Cross railway station was closed, preventing many people from catching their last trains home to south-east London and Kent.

No-one has admitted carrying out the attack but one theory is that the bomb exploded as it was being taken to another destination in London.

Detectives are sifting through the wreckage and the London Central bus company is to hand a tape from the video recorder fitted to the bus over to Scotland Yard for examination.

The Prime Minister John Major was being briefed by officials at 10 Downing Street about the attack. The Irish Government condemned the explosion as “an appalling outrage”.