Gama’s public face no longer represents firm

THE chief public representative of the Turkish firm embroiled in a controversial migrant labour scandal no longer represents the company, the Irish Examiner has learned.

Solicitor Richard Grogan was the public face of Gama Construction, the company accused by Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins of paying migrant workers as little as €2 an hour.

However, Mr Grogan and Gama have now parted company just as a Government report into the company is set to pave the way for an investigation by the director of corporate affairs.

Although Gama also employ the services of a prominent PR firm, Mr Grogan, a solicitor with Dublin firm PC Moore, was frequently called on to defend the controversial company.

Just over two weeks ago Mr Grogan featured prominently on national radio and TV after Gama admitted an internal review had discovered hundreds of Turkish employees had been underpaid by 8%.

Throughout the controversy that followed, Mr Grogan repeatedly told RTÉ he had warned Gama any further discovery would spell disaster for its Irish operations.

“The company was advised by me that it had one opportunity, and one only, to give a full and complete disclosure, and that failure to do so at this stage would put the future of the company in Ireland at serious risk,” he said.

However, a spokeswoman for Gama last night declined to comment on Mr Grogan’s departure and whether it had been connected in any way to the recent controversy.

“The company has nothing to say on the matter at the moment,” she said.

Mr Grogan and the law firm PC Moore also declined to respond to questions throughout yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Government’s report into Gama is being considered by the Attorney General and is expected to be presented to Mr Martin this afternoon once Gama has been allowed sight of its contents.

As first revealed by the Irish Examiner this week, the report did not find conclusive documentary evidence to back up Deputy Higgins’s allegations.

However, the inquiry is to hold back from clearing the company and will instead recommend that Mr Martin sanction further investigations into Gama’s employment practices.

Mr Higgins last night stood by his sensational allegations, first made in the Dáil last month, and said he would once again raise the issue during leader’s questions in the Dáil today with Tánaiste Mary Harney.