Nigerian lawyer loses appeal against people trafficking conviction

A NIGERIAN lawyer has lost an appeal against his conviction for trafficking illegal immigrants into Ireland.

Olaitan Ilori, a father of four, from Oak Drive, Blessington, Co Wicklow, was convicted in July 2007 on 12 counts of organising or knowingly facilitating the entry into the State on October 27, 2004, of 12 adult Mauritian nationals whom he knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, were illegal immigrants.

The group, including Ilori, came to Ireland via Paris and paid substantial amounts of money to MDI, a company in Mauritius, to be given entry visas and work permits.