Ex-minister O’Keeffe guilty of phone expenses fraud

The former Minister of State for agriculture, Ned O’Keeffe, has apologised to his family, friends, and constituents after pleading guilty to five charges of fraud related to more than €3,700 in mobile phone expenses.

Mr O’Keeffe, who presented himself voluntarily to Togher Garda Station yesterday morning, had fines totalling €3,500 and a seven-month suspended jail sentence imposed on him at Cork District Court.

In a statement issued after the hearing, he said his failure to keep and maintain detailed records of all expense claims “has given rise to my inability to assist the authorities in clarifying their queries in the fullest manner on each of the claims referred to in today’s charges”.

“On April 27, 2012, I was interviewed by the gardaí regarding expense claims made by me for mobile phone kits during my period as a public representative.

“I co-operated fully and assisted the gardaí with their enquiries,” he said.

“As a result of their inquiries, An Garda Síochána made a decision to charge me on certain issues arising out of those claims. I have... pleaded at the earliest opportunity to these charges before the court.”

Mr O’Keeffe’s solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said his client had “never been in trouble in his life” but he acknowledged that the “paperwork does not stack up”. He said Mr O’Keeffe was “under a lot of stress and strain” and that “his distinguished record is now blemished”.

Fraud squad detective, Sgt Patrick Linehan, said that when charged with the five counts yesterday morning he replied, “No comment” to each count.

After listening to all of the evidence about mobile phone expenses based on five false invoices between 2002 and 2009, and all of the mitigation, Judge Leo Malone said: “The one question that remains to be asked is why were these false expenses claimed?”

Mr Buttimer replied: “Gross inattentiveness to matters, sloppiness, and matters of that kind.

“Documentation was put up that simply should not have been put up for claims that might well have been legitimate to claim.”

Judge Malone said: “As a public representative he was in a position of trust. These are breaches of the trust bestowed upon him.

“While the amount of money is not large the offences are serious from that point of view.”

The accused paid the full €3,737.50 in compensation.