Farm inspector accused of fraud paid €190k

A FORMER farm inspector who had been accused of fraud in his work with sheep farmers has been paid €190,000 by the Department of Agriculture to compensate for a seven-year suspension.

The man had been ordered out of work, with half-pay, in 2001. Two years later the Director of Public Prosecutions told the department he would not face any charges but this was not acted on and the civil servant remained suspended for a further five years.

The department agreed to settle the case after it was advised that not doing so would risk revealing irregularities in its inspection regime in court.