€454k in social welfare claims recouped

As part of a major crackdown, the Criminal Assets Bureau has taken almost half a million euro from suspected criminal figures fraudulently claiming social welfare.

The CAB annual report for 2011 also reports that two bureau officers were subjected to alleged threats and intimidation from people under investigation.

It reveals €454,000 was recovered from individuals claiming social welfare in 2011 — compared to €181,000 in 2010 and €160,000 in 2009.

Most of the money was from jobseeker’s allowance (€343,000), followed by the lone parent family payment (€61,000), and the disability allowance (€43,000).

The €454,000 reflected only a third of the estimated overpayments of €1.5m made to suspected criminals — or almost €13,000 each on average.

The report, compiled by Det Chief Supt Eugene Corcoran, said that 120 people had payments terminated or reduced, resulting in savings of €617,000.

In the report’s foreword, the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, said the CAB had “successfully targeted a number of cases of significant fraud against the social welfare system”.

Other financial results from the report show:

- Over €2.7m was paid to the exchequer from the sale of criminal assets (€3.1m in 2010 and €1.4m in 2009);

- A total of €3.8m was collected from tax demands on the incomes of suspected criminals (€4m in 2010 and €5.1m in 2009);

- There were six court interim seizure orders on criminal assets, valued at €5.4m and £6,725;

- There were 19 final seizure orders, worth some €7.2m, £74,000, and $700,000.

The CAB carried out tax assessments on 35 people, amounting to €14m, of which €12.3m was demanded.

That marks a significant drop on previous years — €17m was demanded in 2010 and €24m in 2009.

Mr Callinan said there had been an increase in theft and fraud offences in 2011, and he highlighted a development resulting in the identification of funds from victims of crime.

The report said €2.7m had been transferred to a liquidator to be distributed for the benefit of victims of a criminal fraud.

The bureau also seized and forfeited for the State a Range Rover Discovery, worth in excess of €82,000.

The report said two officers were allegedly intimidated and threatened, resulting in files to the DPP. Charges were brought in one case, while the other is under consideration.

The bureau sent two files on suspected money-laundering to the DPP, which decided against prosecution.

The report said a continuing vacancy for a solicitor in the bureau had “generated a backlog of work”, which it said “contributed to a fall in the number of new cases” it could take on.

The report said suspected criminals targeted were involved in drugs trafficking, fraud, fuel laundering, and tobacco smuggling.