Dunlop jail sentence ‘a warning for others’

FORMER government press secretary Frank Dunlop has been given 18 months in prison and fined €30,000 for making corrupt payments to politicians over the rezoning of land at Carrickmines in south Dublin during the 1990s.

Judge Frank O’Donnell said the public interest required that Dunlop’s offences warranted a jail term that amounted to “more than a rap on the knuckles or a token sentence”.

“Word must go out from this court that corruption by politicians or anyone in public office will attract significant penalties,” said Judge O’Donnell.

He also criticised the once high-flying civil servant and PR consultant for his “long-range, focused criminal intent”.

Dunlop, aged 61, of Rathbeggan, Dunboyne, Co Meath, had pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last January to five sample counts out of a total of 16 charges of making corrupt payments totalling £25,000 to eight politicians.

They were former Fianna Fáil senator Don Lydon; former Fine Gael TD Liam Cosgrave jnr; former Fianna Fáil councillors, Colm McGrath and Seán Gilbride and current Fianna Fáil councillor, Tony Fox, who is standing as an independent in the local elections on June 5. The others are deceased councillors, Jack Larkin (FF), Cyril Gallagher (FF) and Tom Hand (FG).

The court heard that Dunlop’s actions were motivated by gain as he was due to be paid a success fee of £250,000 by land- owner Jim Kennedy if the site was rezoned.

The former political lobbyist is the first individual to be given a custodial sentence for corruption under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1997.

Judge O’Donnell imposed concurrent terms of one to two years on each of the five counts, with the last six months suspended.

Although his guilty plea and co-operation with the Flood/Mahon tribunal and a separate Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) investigation were taken into account, Judge O’Donnell said Dunlop had only appeared to change his evidence to the planning inquiry after effectively being caught “red handed”.

Dunlop hugged his tearful wife, Sheila, and daughter Sinéad, before being led away by prison officers. It is understood he was brought to Mountjoy for committal, but is likely to serve most of his term at Arbour Hill Prison.

Dunlop is expected to appear as a “star witness” in an upcoming High Court case by the CAB to seize the Carrickmines land as the proceeds of crime. The site, which was bought for £540,000 in 1987, is estimated to be worth about €53m today.

Dunlop has also promised to give evidence in any other criminal prosecutions of others alleged to be involved in corruption related to the Carrickmines property.