Man in convenience marriages case remanded on bail

A Mauritian man living in Dublin, who is accused of using bogus documentation to facilitate marriages of convenience, has been remanded on continuing bail pending the preparation of a book of evidence.

Dublin District Court heard Resen Modeley, aged 30, allegedly told gardaí it cost €7,000 for an arranged marriage. He was allegedly involved in 50 of them which would have amounted to €350,000 but had to use most the money to cover significant expenses.

The father of six was arrested following an investigation by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

He faces three counts under the Theft and Fraud Act for using as false instruments two letters from a guesthouse offering employment to a named man and woman, between May 6 and May 7 last year, at his home address, at Chapel Gate, St Alphonsus Rd, in Dublin 9.

He was also charged with using another letter from the same guesthouse as a false instrument between April 28 and May 29 last.

Judge Michael Walsh has refused jurisdiction, meaning the accused will be tried in the circuit court, which has tougher sentencing powers. He granted the State an additional four weeks to complete the book of evidence which needs to be served before an accused person is returned for trial.

The defendant was remanded on continuing bail to appear again on a date in April. The district court has heard he allegedly paid a member of staff at a guest-house to produce the fictitious job offer letters to assist Portuguese nationals obtain PPS numbers which were necessary to apply to marry a foreign national.

The court heard he had been running a commercial enterprise related to them since coming here in 2009.

Mr Modeley had worked in a third-level private school attended by a lot of foreigners, the court was told.