Charges unlikely after Gogarty's death

THE death of former building company director James Gogarty on Thursday has made it less likely that anybody will ever face a criminal prosecution for corruption uncovered by the Planning Tribunal.

The octogenarian, whose revelations about planning corruption involving former minister Ray Burke were instrumental in setting up the inquiry, died peacefully at Beaumont Hospital after a long illness.

Given his central role in implicating Mr Burke and several other wealthy businessmen in corruption, Mr Gogarty, 88, would have been a crucial witness in any prosecution.