A livestock dealer charged with smuggling animals into the State from the UK has been refused bail and remanded in custody by the Dublin District Court. He will appear before the court again next week.
Mr John Walsh also faces charges related to tax returns and could be forced to pay back £700,000 in alleged unpaid tax. He could face five years in jail for these offences.
Mr Walsh was arrested yesterday morning after he returned from the UK, where he has been living since February.
Judge David Anderson refused bail on the grounds Mr Walsh left the State after he committed the alleged smuggling offences and had no ties in the State.
"He has no ties, no family, no business, no residence." Det Sgt John Colgan of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Det Insp John McDermott of the Criminal Assets Bureau, who charged Mr Walsh, objected to bail because he might leave the State again.
Det Insp McDermott said Mr Walsh had every reason to leave the State as he had no address here.
"The accused is at an advanced stage of moving to Scotland. His property in the Republic of Ireland is currently up for sale," Det Sgt Colgan said.
When asked by Judge Anderson if the objection to bail was based on the smuggling charges, Det Sgt Colgan said it also related to the tax return charges, which were of "even greater gravity".
Mr Walsh told the court he voluntarily returned to the Republic to assist the gardai with their inquiries into animal smuggling after he read two reports in a newspaper appealing for anyone with information to come forward. He met two detectives last week and travelled to Dublin on Wednesday evening.
At Dublin Airport he was met by gardai and went to Harcourt Street Garda station where he was questioned and charged.
Mr Walsh said he was in the process of selling his lands in Co Offaly, worth £600,000, and would not leave the State until this was done. "I would be leaving property worth approximately £600,000 that I'll use to pay my bills," he said.
He left the State on February 22nd because he was dealing with sheep in the UK and the Republic. He had not returned to the Republic since, he said.
"I was in and out of Ireland. . . I was buying sheep in England and Ireland and that can be proved," he said.
Mr Walsh told the court he was divorced and had a son and a daughter who lived in Australia and the UK, respectively. He had seven brothers and sisters.
Mr Walsh's brother, Mr Joseph Walsh, gave evidence that if bail was granted he would allow Mr Walsh to live with him and his family in Dunlavin, Co Wicklow.
Cross-examined by Det Insp McDermott, Mr Joseph Walsh said he did not know his brother's address in the UK and had not seen him since "just before this foot-and-mouth thing started".
Mr Walsh's solicitor, Mr Michael Hanahoe, said his client had suffered from adverse publicity arising out of his alleged offences.
As a result, his business in the Republic was not going well, he added.
The charges against Mr Walsh include four of smuggling cattle into the State and 10 related to Revenue matters, including nine charges of submitting incorrect returns and one charge of failing to submit a return.
The tax return charges related to the years from 1990 up to last year.