FF politician rejects cocaine allegations

A FIANNA FÁIL politician yesterday firmly rejected allegations he was caught snorting cocaine.

Dublin councillor Liam Kelly said he was being subjected to a serious extortion scam and that he had informed the gardaí.

Mr Kelly, a councillor in central Dublin, said that photographs of him, published in two Sunday newspapers, were staged by his extortionists. It was claimed the pictures showed Mr Kelly snorting a white powder and that he was being plunged into “a cocaine blackmail storm”.

The pictures, which are of poor quality, are believed to have been taken on a mobile phone camera.

In a statement yesterday, the 33-year-old Fianna Fáil man said: “I wish to state that staged photographs of me appeared in two of this Sunday’s newspapers.

“In the course of the past week, I have been the subject of a very serious extortion attempt by the parties who have staged and taken the photographs.”

He said the extortion attempt involved a “demand with menaces” that a substantial sum of money be paid to the perpetrators.

And in its first official response last night, Fianna Fáil issued a short statement saying the party viewed the use and abuse of illegal drugs to be a very serious matter

“The party notes the statement made by Mr Kelly. We understand that the Garda Siochána intend to investigate the matter and the party is keeping the matter under continuing review,” a spokeswoman said.

Mr Kelly, who lives in Glasnevin in North Dublin, said he refused to hand over money and reported the matter to the gardaí.

“This extortion attempt is now the subject of a criminal investigation, something which refrains me from commenting on this matter any further in case that process becomes damaged.”

In response to allegations of drug use, he stated: “Furthermore, I wish to state that I am not a drug user and blood and urine tests could prove this.”

He said he regretted the hurt that the media coverage had brought to his constituents, family, friends and party.

The statement concluded: “I am in the innocent party in this scam.”

Solicitor Aidan Eames of Eames Solicitors is representing Mr Kelly on the matter.

A Garda spokesman confirmed that they were investigating an alleged extortion demand, but could not reveal the complainant, as per policy.

Councillor Kelly has been seen as a rising star within Fianna Fáil ever since his student days at University College Dublin, where he was chairman of the local Kevin Barry Cumann and president of the UCD Students Union.

He has been a member of Dublin City Council for three years and was re-elected in 2004. He is senior development officer of Dublin City University’s Educational Trust.