Money laundering accused to appear in Portlaoise Circuit Court

Books of Evidence have been served on four people who appeared in court charged with money laundering in Laois in April of 2020.

All four who are charged in connection with a sum of €50,000 have been sent forward to Portlaoise Circuit Court on October 25.   

Ciara Lynch, 31, with an address at 420 O’Malley Park, Southill, Limerick and Kathleen O’Reilly, 41, of Bay 5, Castletroy Halting Site, Limerick each faced one charge on money laundering in relation to a sum of €50,000 at Conkeen, Portlaoise on April 6, 2020. 

Francis Maguire, 37, of 2 Cement Road, Drogheda and Simon McGinley, 23, of 4 St Anthony’s Park, Cement Road, Drogheda are both charged with money laundering in relation to the sum of €50,000 at Midway Food Court car park, Meelick, Portlaoise on April 6, 2020. 

Garda Keith Hartnett gave evidence of serving the Book of Evidence on each of the four accused.

Solicitor Aonghus McCarthy asked if Ms Lynch, who is on bail, could have her passport to go on a family holiday at the end of August. He also asked about her vehicle which he said gardai had seized in 2020. Mr McCarthy asked that the bail signing on condition be removed and he applied for legal aid for a solicitor and two barristers in relation to the case.

Sgt Sean Keane said Mr McCarthy should make his submission to the prosecuting garda in relation to the return of a passport for a week in August. Garda Hartnett said he has made  enquiries in relation to the vehicle. 

Judge Andrew Cody approved the legal aid for a solicitor and two counsel for the accused due to the seriousness of the charge and the complex nature of the prosecution. He removed the sign-on condition from the defendant’s bail. 

The other three defendants also had their sign-on conditions removed and were each granted legal aid for a solicitor and two counsel.