Gardaí to examine bank accounts in Bulgaria

SPECIALIST garda officers are to fly out to Bulgaria to examine bank accounts held by an Irish businessman arrested last week as part of the investigation into suspected IRA money laundering.

Detectives from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI) and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) also want access to any accounts opened by former Government aide, Phil Flynn, who travelled to Bulgaria several weeks ago.

The Bulgarian Interior Ministry yesterday confirmed that Mr Flynn and the businessman, Cork financier Ted Cunningham, travelled together to Bulgaria and rented an office in the capital, Sofia. However, the ministry said there was no evidence to suggest any money had been laundered. “They haven’t committed a crime in Bulgaria,” the ministry’s chief secretary, Boyko Borisov, said.