Ex-politician arrested in alleged bid to hire hitman

A former politician was being questioned by gardaí last night after he allegedly tried to hire a hitman to murder three people, including a member of the gardaí.

The man was arrested in Cork City yesterday morning.

His arrest came after he allegedly tried to pay an undercover garda posing as a hitman a large sum to kill a member of the Revenue Commissioners, a person working in financial services, and a garda, believed to be a member of the fraud squad.