Man denies trafficking illegal immigrants

A man has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court charged with trafficking illegal immigrants into Ireland two years ago.

Olaitan Ilori (aged 38) with an address at Oak Drive, Blessington, Co Wicklow, pleaded not guilty that between March 1 and October 27, 2004, he organised or knowingly facilitated the entry into the State on October 27, 2004, of 14 Mauritian nationals, whom he knew or had reasonable cause to believe were illegal immigrants

Mr Alex Owens SC (with Mr Patrick McGrath BL), prosecuting, told the jury that it would be the State's case that Mr Ilori travelled to Mauritius prior to October 27, 2004.

Mr Owens said Mr Ilori met the 12 adults and two children on October 22 and 25, where he represented himself as a lawyer and an Irish immigration expert. He said he would travel with the group to Ireland and advised them to tell immigration officers in Dublin Airport they were tourists on "a fact finding mission".

Mr Ilori allegedly also told the group they could tell immigration officers that if they were offered work in Ireland they would then seek a work permit.

He also allegedly promised to intervene if there was any question of them being deported.

Mr Owens said the State intended to prove that Mr Ilori did all this "knowing that these men, women and children were illegal immigrants".

He told the jury that an illegal immigrant was defined in legislation as a non-national who sought to enter, entered or had entered the State illegally.

He said this group of Mauritian nationals arrived in Dublin Airport from Paris on October 27, 2004 and on presenting themselves to immigration control, claimed they were tourists.

They had documentation from an organisation in Maritus called MDI Training Academy which stated that they were on a fact-finding mission to Ireland in relation "to IT and commerce". They also had proof of a reservation for a Dublin city centre hostel.

Mr Owens told the jury that the Director of Public Prosecutions would prove that these people were in fact looking to work in Ireland and as they had no work permit issued by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, they had not been given permission to travel to Ireland in this capacity.

The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury of seven men and five women.