Money laundering trial hears accused knew 'the leader of the IRA'

The 60-year-old man accused of money-laundering told gardaí he was never in the IRA but he told detectives he knew “the leader of the IRA” and once sent him a Christmas card.

Ted Cunningham of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, faces 20 charges of money laundering and he denies all counts. The charges arise out of the investigation of the robbery of £26.5m sterling from the Northern Bank in Belfast on December 20, 2004.

The jury viewed video evidence today of Cunningham being interviewed by detectives at the Bridewell garda station in February 2005. Detective Garda John Lynch and Detective Sergeant Gerry McCarthy asked him about republicanism, the IRA, and his connection with various people.

“I have to put it to you, Ted, that many of your friends were at one stage or another members of the Provisional IRA?” he was asked, to which he replied, “Like who?” The name, Joe Cahill, was put to him.

Cunningham replied: “I have read his book. The heading of the book was IRA Leader. I have met the man. I had no involvement ever and never contributed to a party in anything related to the IRA.”

“Are you a friend of Gerry Adams?” he was asked. He replied: “No, I wouldn’t say a friend, I met the man on two or three occasions same as I would have met Bertie Ahern on two or three occasions.”

After mention of a few names from various parties, Cunningham was asked about Christmas card lists. “I think I did get a card from Bertie Ahern,” he said.

“Was Joe Cahill on your Christmas card list?” he was asked.

He replied: “I may have sent Joe Cahill a Christmas card once – himself and his wife. I met him a few times. I might have met himself and his wife five or six times in my life… I met him in Dublin at two functions in the City West hotel, they were Sinn Féin functions.”

The case continues from that point in the evidence tomorrow.