Accused ‘in fear’ of Phil Flynn, court told

THE Corkman on trial for money-laundering was in fear of the former chairman of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) — Phil Flynn — it was claimed yesterday by the detective in charge of the investigation.

Det Chief Supt Tony Quilter said of Ted Cunningham: “He was in fear of Mr Flynn after naming Mr Flynn.”

Cunningham, of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, denies 20 charges of money-laundering, arising out of the investigation of the robbery of £26.5 million from the Northern Bank in Belfast on December 20, 2004.

Cunningham, 60, was released after questioning in February 2005, and between then and September 2005 he had about 15 meetings with Det Chief Supt Quilter at the car parks of various hotels, a Dunnes Stores and the greyhound track in Bishopstown, Cork.

“You wanted him to tell you what he and Phil Flynn were talking about [when Cunningham and Mr Flynn met],” Ciaran O’Loughlin, senior counsel for Cunningham asked.

Det Chief Supt Quilter said Cunningham told him “what happened between himself and Phil. He was in fear of Mr Flynn after naming Mr Flynn.”

Mr O’Loughlin rejected this suggestion. “He is not afraid to say in evidence in court he is not afraid of him… You said he told you he was afraid of Phil Flynn, he appears not to be now.” Det Chief Supt Quilter said that was what Cunningham said at the time.

Mr O’Loughlin said: “You were trying to get Ted Cunningham to act as an informer… What you wanted was that he would go prowling around and find out what was happening.”

Det Chief Supt Quilter said: “I was trying to get any intelligence or information I could to further my investigation into activities of IRA and money-laundering of Northern Bank robbery money… I wanted to find out, that was my job, I make no apologies for that.”

Mr O’Loughlin wanted to know if Det Chief Supt Quilter met with Cunningham on 15 occasions “to hold his hand and comfort him to tell him he was safe”.

Det Chief Supt Quilter said: “No, there was that too, but I wanted him to help my investigation… He said he would probably be meeting the boys after and I said come back to me after.”

Mr O’Loughlin said: “You told him to meet specifically Phil Flynn as opposed to the boys and come back to you.” Det Chief Supt Quilter said: “Absolutely not.”

The leader of the investigation also denied assuring the accused if he co-operated he would not be prosecuted for anything other than tax matters.

Det Chief Supt Quilter also denied threatening to leak false information to the media about Cunningham’s confessions in relation to IRA names.

Mr O’Loughlin said the defendant’s evidence would be that he was told to ask to have the camera turned off and then told to say what the investigators wanted him to say. Detective Garda Jim Fitzgerald rejected this. “He [Cunningham] said — without any prompting from anyone — that Mr Flynn was the person behind all of this,” he said.

Det Chief Supt Quilter denied allegations of pressure, threats or inducements and said there were no complaints from Cunningham during or after detention or at any time right up to this trial.