Ten people appeared in court yesterday charged in connection with Garda searches for undocumented workers at four Dublin lap-dancing clubs last June.
The 10 are directors, operators or managers of the clubs, who together face 95 counts of employing around 30 women, mainly from eastern Europe, without work permits, contrary to the Employment Permits Act 2003.
Dublin District Court heard the chief prosecution solicitor was still awaiting final instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions and an adjournment of four to six weeks was sought in all cases.
Ms Mary Cullen and Mr Martin Cullen, who operate Strings, Leeson Street, and their company, Zalavir Builders, face 39 summonses; Mr Chris Kelly, a director of Starshine View Ltd, and owner of Club Lapello, Dame Street, faces seven summonses. Mr Kelly is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm allegedly found on his premises during the search. Mr Edward Fahy, Ms Sinead Fahy and Mr Paul Lawless, of La Petite, Great Denmark Street, and the company which owns it, Archester Ltd, face 28 summonses; Mr David Long, Ms Louise Keane, Mr Stephen Pell and Mr Gareth Ward of Playmates, Parnell Street, along with the holding company, are summonsed on 21 counts.
Playmates is owned by a company called the Dublin Sport Cafe Ltd, which the court heard is now in liquidation. Judge Timothy Lucey granted a request from a lawyer for the Cullens, seeking disclosure of details of documents seized during the search including passports, payslips and national identity cards. He adjourned the Lapellos and Strings cases to April 7th and the La Petite and Playmates cases to April 21st.
Navan man charged with child Internet pornography has case adjourned
The case of a Navan man, before the local court yesterday for downloading pornographic images of children from the Internet, was adjourned by Judge John Brophy to March 24th. Judge Brophy had adjourned the case of Mr John Markey (61), Blackcastle, Navan, last year to allow him to undergo treatment at the Granada Institute. The man was detected during Operation Amethyst conducted by gardaí on foot of information from the FBI.