EU to swoop on gardaí over Templemore funds debacle

THE EU’s anti-fraud body is to investigate an account linked to the Garda College in Templemore.

Allegations emerged last month that EU funding earmarked for Garda training was redirected from the Garda College to a bank account in Cabra, Dublin, and used for entertainment purposes.

It was further alleged that up to 5% of EU funding provided to the Garda College by Cepol, the European Police College, was used in this way.

An audit report on EU funding to the Templemore college included details of money that ended up in a bank in Cabra, The report was sent to the European Anti-Fraud agency Olaf, prompting them to carry out a preliminary examination of certain issues.

Olaf confirmed last month that it had received the report and yesterday it confirmed to RTÉ that it had launched its own probe.

It said yesterday that it ‘can confirm that, after a preliminary analysis, it is investigating the matter’.

However, the agency refused to comment further as the investigation is ongoing.

The fact that Olaf is actively investigating the matter means it can, in effect, interview whomever it wants and seize whatever information it needs.

And it doesn’t have to give advance warning that it is coming to seize material such as computers and mobile phones.

Their involvement is the latest twist in a long-running saga over finances at the controversial Garda Training College.

At the Public Accounts Committee early last month, Fine Gael’s Josepha Madigan spoke to John Barrett, the civilian head of Garda Human Resources, about the management of bank accounts attached to An Garda Síochána.

She asked him if he was aware of any other bank accounts belonging to the Garda College which had, as yet, not been disclosed.

He said he believed there were further accounts which had not yet been audited.

When she asked him if there was a bank account in Cabra he replied: ‘It has been suggested to me that there might be, yes.’

Mr Barrett said he believed it was an AIB account.

When the TD asked what the bank account was used for, Mr Barrett said: ‘I do not know, is the short answer.’

He said he had given details about the bank account to the Garda Head of Audit, Niall Kelly for ‘further review and exploration’.

Mr Barrett added: ‘[The person controlling the account] was made known to me and I gave that information to Niall Kelly.’

When asked if proceeds of Cepol were going into this bank account, he said he did not know. Ms Madigan then asked if he thought that the ‘EU funding was going where it was supposed to go’.

He responded: ‘I do not know, is the short answer.’

Niall Kelly, who is Head of Audits in the Gardaí, confirmed last month that he was carrying out an investigation in relation to the Templemore College and EU funding.

He said that there were two audits being examined and that one was an audit of EU-funded projects – programmes in relation to the college going back to 1998.

Further revelations about the Cepol funding are also contained in a 2008 audit of the Garda College which has been seen by the Irish Daily Mail.

The audit states that there was a dedicated bank account for EU funds. Despite this, money from

Can seize what they want

the Cepol course was being sent to a ‘laundry’ account.

The now nine-year-old audit recommended that the laundry accounts be closed and that the EU bank accounts be reconciled.

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan told the PAC that Mr Kelly forwarded his report on the matter to both GSOC and Olaf for their consideration.

She told the PAC last month that balances in the account ranged from €5k to €90k, she didn’t reveal how much money passed through the account.

The PAC is expected to deliver its final report this week