Cork politicians deny fraud as gardaí send report to DPP

Allegations of fraud were made against Sinn Féin members Thomas Gould (left), a TD for Cork North Central, and Cork City councillor Kenneth Collins (right). Both men strongly deny the allegations. File pictures

A file on the case of alleged fraud involving two Cork politicians has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide whether charges should be brought against them.

Allegations of fraud were made against Sinn Féin members Thomas Gould, a TD for Cork North Central, and Cork City councillor Kenneth Collins. Both men strongly deny the allegations.

Gardaí sent a file to the DPP this month over an alleged €200,000 fraud at a Cork company that both politicians formerly worked for.

The file reportedly contains close to 600 pages and came after an almost five-year Garda investigation. The allegations date to a period between 2014 and 2019. They involve allegedly fraudulent invoice payments for holiday pay and relief work, the Irish Times reported.

It also involves allegations of fraudulent payments for returning pallets to the company. While the company paid €1 for a pallet to be returned following deliveries, it is alleged some of these payments were made even when pallets were not returned, it is understood. 

Both men previously worked at the company. Mr Gould was a logistics manager and Mr Collins was a truck driver. Both politicians were interviewed by gardaí more than 12 months ago and a file has gone to the DPP in recent weeks.

Mr Gould previously said in a statement that he utterly rejects the complaint made against him by his former employer. “I am confident that my position will be vindicated having met with the investigating gardaí where I made a detailed statement,” he said in a statement last year.

“When this matter was brought to my attention I was shocked and angry. I am entirely innocent and reject the complaint which my former employer has made against me.” 

Although Mr Gould was having treatment for bowel cancer at the time, he said that he “proactively requested that my interview with gardaí happen quickly rather than when my treatment concluded as I consider this to be a serious attack on my reputation."

The complaint made against him relates to his employment as a logistics manager before he was elected to the Dáil in 2020. 

"I worked for this company for 16 years," he said. I was a hard-working employee who was promoted to a senior management level.

“When the company was sold the owner asked me to stay on for a period to help with the transition and I was happy to facilitate him. I reject the complaint entirely and I will be meeting with my legal team to discuss all avenues now open."