Gardaí suspected accused was in IRA, court told
Inspector Declan O’Sullivan said he obtained a warrant from Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Quilter to search the home of Ted Cunningham on February 16, 2005, and he believed that Cunningham was a member of the IRA.
“I was looking for evidence in relation to membership of an unlawful organisation,” said Insp O’Sullivan.
“Your suspicion at that time was that Mr Ted Cunningham was a member of the IRA?” suggested defence senior counsel Ciaran O’Loughlin.
“Yes, at that time, based on my conversation with Det Chief Supt Quilter and the fruits of other searches.”
“You thought this big, fat, old businessman was a member of the IRA?”
“Yes, among other people. My information was that an IRA gang was working in Cork. I was given the names of people. I was given that information from Det Chief Supt Quilter,” said Insp O’Sullivan.
“You had no earthly reason other than that?”
“There was the search of a house of another member of the gang and a substantial amount of cash found there... the sterling in the house in Douglas and euro in a Daz box at Heuston Station. All these men were part of the same gang.”
Mr O’Loughlin said, “It never occurred to you or to Det Chief Supt Quilter that this ould fella was a member of the IRA, the whole notion of membership of the IRA was a subterfuge for issuing a warrant.”
The inspector denied this and said he suspected at the time that Cunningham was a member of the IRA.
“Do you still think he is a member of the IRA?”
“No, I don’t.”
Timothy (Ted) Cunningham, 60, of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, faces 20 charges of money laundering and he denies all counts. The charges arise from the robbery of Stg£26.5m from the Northern Bank in Belfast on December 20, 2004.
