Former GAA player arrested in fraud probe

Gardaí have arrested a former GAA player who is being investigated for fraud in which he allegedly sought money falsely on the basis that he needed cancer treatment. 

It is understood the individual was arrested on Wednesday afternoon. 

The former player was arrested under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Offences Act 2001 and can be held for up to 24 hours.

The development comes after a series of revelations from a range of people that they had been approached by the former player seeking money. 

One report suggested that up to €250,000 had been handed over to the individual on this basis.

It was reported in the Irish Independent earlier this week that billionaire Denis O’Brien had provided the gardaí with extensive detail on his interactions with the individual, having been approached for money by them. 

Mr O’Brien allegedly handed over large sums of money to this person and also agreed to allow the man use some of his properties.

It is understood that most of those who were approached took the man as his word in terms of his health condition and did not seek proof of it. 

Other business and sporting figures have given similar accounts of their dealings with the former player. 

Some of the sums handed over were in the form of loans and amounts sought and given allegedly vary from a few thousand to up to €100,000.

Two people connected to the GAA told the Irish Examiner this week that they had been asked by the former player for sums of up to €20,000 and one had been told by the former player that it would be repaid and doubled within three months. 

Neither ended up giving the individual concerned any money.