Trafficker fails in appeal

The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a Nigerian lawyer against his conviction for trafficking illegal immigrants into Ireland.

Olaitan Ilori, a father of four, Oak Drive, Blessington, Co Wicklow was convicted in July 2007 on 12 counts of organising or knowingly facilitating the entry into the State on October 27, 2004 of 12 adult Mauritian nationals whom he knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, were illegal immigrants.

The 12-day trial was the first case of trafficking of illegal immigrants to come before the Circuit Criminal Court and Ilori was jailed for four years by Judge Martin Nolan.

Ilori denied the charges and his appealed against both his conviction and the sentence imposed by Judge Nolan.

As part of his appeal lawyers for Ilori had argued that the case should not have been brought because there was no case to answer.

It was further claimed that the Mauritian nationals were not illegal immigrants and that the trial judge failed to give a accomplice warning to the jury in respect of the Mauritian's who gave evidence during the trial.

It was also claimed that Ilori had been unlawfully detained at Dublin airport for approximately 90 minutes on October 27, 2004.

The DPP had opposed the appeal and said there was no basis to overturn the conviction.

In a detailed judgment delivered this morning the three judge court, with Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns presiding and sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel Herbert, said it was satisfied that all grounds of Ilori's appeal must fail.

The Court also said that Ilori's appeal against the four-year sentence will be determined at a later date.

Ilori qualified as a lawyer in Nigeria and arrived in Ireland in 1998.

He is married to an Irish woman and was granted full citizenship in 2002.