Revenue probes minister turned car salesman Ivor Callely

Revenue officials have seized a number of high-priced vehicles under warrant from former minister Ivor Callely’s used car sales site as part of a “routine” investigation of his new business.

The move is believed to be linked to questions over the tax details of at least six foreign-registered cars and came after it emerged last month that the disgraced former Fianna Fáil TD now works in car sales.

Revenue is precluded by law from discussing any individual it is investigating, but it is understood the decision to seize the six vehicles came during a routine examination of his business.

The examination — one of a number of unrelated cases across the country — is believed to focus on the exact tax status of the vehicles under the vehicle registration tax (VRT) system, which any car in Ireland for more than 30 days must meet.

In addition, the investigation is also understood to be examining whether Mr Callely currently has a trader account number, which any car salesperson needs to have in order to operate in this country.

The Daily Mail reported last month that Mr Callely — a former Fianna Fáil junior minister in health and transport, and who spent five months in prison due to fraudulently claiming mobile phone expenses — is now working as a used car salesman under the name “Olivor”.

During the initial reports in November, the former TD for Dublin North Central — who also faced controversy over mileage expenses while a TD after claiming he was living in a property he owned in West Cork — said he was “awaiting issue of a trader account number from Revenue”.

Despite the seizures, Mr Callely’s business, GPS Car Sales, which is based out of 191 Howth Rd, Killester, Dublin, continues to advertise a number of cars worth up to €60,000 for sale via websites including DoneDeal.