New legislation allows CAB to seize criminals’ assets abroad

FOREIGN assets of crime bosses will no longer be out of the reach of Irish authorities under legislation to be enacted this week.

President Mary McAleese is expected to sign into law on Saturday the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005.

The act will give significant new powers to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), including the right to:

Seize assets in another country, which have been bought with the proceeds of Irish criminal activity

seize assets in Ireland of a foreign criminal, whether or not the assets were derived from criminal activity here or abroad.

The act will also give CAB new powers to combat corruption between businessmen and State officials, including politicians and planning officers.

These powers will allow the agency to:

Recover a financial penalty from a person, such as a land developer, equal to the amount he has been enriched by a corrupt act.

Seize a suspected bribe, such as a payment or gift, given to a State official.

“This act will enable us to conduct joint operations with foreign police forces, such as the Spanish,” said a CAB source.

A large number of Irish criminals have bought properties in Spain.

“We will be compiling a list of properties and assets derived from criminal activity, including assets here and abroad, and go to the High Court for a confiscation order,” said the source.

Top of CAB’s list are John Gilligan’s assets in Spain, including a large pub and an estimated twenty apartments in the popular Alicante area.

Gilligan is believed to have laundered up to £25m (€31m) in properties in Spain through Liam Judge, who subsequently died of a heart attack.

Gilligan’s bar, the Judge Chambers, and the properties are said to be run by Gilligan’s wife, Geraldine Gilligan, who lives there.

CAB will also use the powers to go after properties purchased in Spain by missing drug trafficker Seán Dunne.

The 32-year-old Dubliner has not been seen since last October, fuelling speculation that he has fallen foul of organised crime groups.

Another target is a 28-year-old Limerick man, who fled to Spain along with an estimated 12m earned in a VAT scam.

CAB is also after a money launderer for murdered drug dealer PJ Judge, known as the Psycho, who bought property in Portugal.

The act will also allow CAB to seize assets from people who have inherited property from an Irish criminal.

The legislation will give a new power to target people who have increased the value of their property through a corrupt act, such as bribing a planning official or politician.

The court will be able to issue a “corruption enrichment order” directing the defendant to pay an amount equal to the increased value.

CAB will also be able to apply to the court to seize a suspected bribe made by the businessman to a state official.