Man posed as pal to claim allowance

A POLISH man has been jailed and made to repay over €8,000 he fraudulently claimed in social welfare by posing as his friend.

Krzysztof Budzik, with an address at 54 The Jolly Mariner apartments, Athlone, appeared at Athlone District Court yesterday on theft charges and the fraudulent collection of €8,312.50 of Jobseeker’s Allowance from the Department of Social Protection.

He was accused of making the collections between April 7 of last year and March 1 of this year, by posing as another Polish man, Tomasz Julga, who had returned to Poland.

In court yesterday, Detective Garda Niall Cogavin outlined how Julga had left Ireland but had given his Social Services card to Budzik, who proceeded to collect €8,312.50 in his name.

The court was told that an Inspector of the Department of Social Protection reported the matter to the gardaí, who arrested Budzik.

The money has been repaid, which was taken into account by Judge Seamus Hughes in his sentencing.

He imposed a sentence of three months, with the last two months suspended. He also imposed a fine of €1,000 in respect of 45 charges, with the remaining charges taken into account.