Bookmaker’s manager’s assets remain frozen

The High Court has continued orders freezing the assets of a Boylesports branch manager who the bookmaker alleges has misappropriated €562,200 of its money.

Last week, Boylesports obtained orders preventing Ronan Crowley, who is the manager of the bookmaker’s outlet on Castle St in Cork City, from reducing or dissipating his assets below €650,000.

It claims Mr Crowley deliberately failed to lodge monies taken in at the branch with its bank, and misappropriated monies for his own use.

Mr Crowley did not appear in court. Nor were any representations made on his behalf yesterday when the matter was mentioned before Mr Justice Kevin Cross. The court heard Mr Crowley had been served with notice of the proceedings.

The judge, who agreed to continue the freezing orders against Mr Crowley, also ordered that Mr Crowley provide Boylesports’ solicitors LK Shields with information and documentation showing where the alleged misappropriated monies had gone.

Paul Fogarty BL, for Boylesports, said his client does not know where the money has gone or what it was used for.

The matter was adjourned to a date in October.

Last week, Mr Justice Michael White granted Boylesports orders restraining Mr Crowley, with an address at Carrig Downs Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, from dealing with or dissipating any monies allegedly misappropriated by of him from his employers.

Boylesports also secured permission to inform various financial institutions about the orders against Mr Crowley. This was to help the company track down the money it claims is missing.

Boylesports began an internal inquiry after a pattern of serious irregularities involving the Castle St branch were revealed. It discovered a number of lodgment slips uploaded on the branch’s electronic point of sale, which calculates the amount to be lodged with the company’s bank, had no corresponding lodgment slips with the bank.

The irregularities date from between Nov 2011 and August of this year. It is claimed the irregularities did not take place when Mr Crowley was on holidays.

It is also claimed Mr Crowley is the only person with the access and opportunity to misappropriate these funds.

Mr Crowley has been with the company since 2007 and was made a manager of the Castle St branch in 2009. He has been suspended as a result of the allegations.