Accused was in fear of bank boss, says Superintendant

The Cork man on trial for money-laundering was in fear of the former chairman of Bank of Scotland (Ireland) – Phil Flynn – it was claimed today by the detective in charge of the investigation.

Det. Chief Supt Tony Quilter said of Ted Cunningham: “He was in fear of Mr Flynn after naming Mr Flynn.”

Cunningham of Woodbine Lodge, Farran, Co Cork, denies 20 charges of money-laundering, arising out of the investigation of the robbery of £26.5m (€29.6m) from the Northern Bank in Belfast on December 20th 2004.

Cunningham (aged 60) was released after questioning in February 2005 and between then and September 2005 he had around 15 meetings with Det. Chief Supt Quilter at the car parks of various hotels and at a Dunnes Stores car park and the greyhound track in Bishopstown, Cork.

“You wanted him to tell you what he and Phil Flynn were talking about (when Cunnigham and Mr Flynn met),” Ciaran O’Loughlin, senior counsel asked.

Det. Chief Supt Quilter said Cunningham told him “what happened between himself and Phil. He was in fear of Mr Flynn after naming Mr Flynn”.

Mr O’Loughlin rejected the suggestion that the accused was in fear of Mr Flynn. “He is not afraid to say in evidence in court he is not afraid of him… You said he told you he was afraid of Phil Flynn, he appears not to be now.”

Det. Chief Supt Quilter said that was what Cunningham said at the time in 2005.

The Criminal Assets Bureau questioned Cunningham and he told them that he knew £4.9m (€5.5m) at his home in Cork in February 2005 was from the Northern Bank robbery in Belfast.

CAB officers, Vincent Byrne and Tony Ryan interviewed Cunningham at the Bridewell garda station in Cork and he told them: “I knew what type of money it was.”

Asked what he meant by this, he replied: “It was Northern Bank notes?”

“Do you mean it was from the Northern robbery?” he was asked and replied: “Yes. By the time I got all £4.9m I knew it was all from the robbery.”