Fisheries board pair not guilty

Two Southern Regional Fisheries Board officials have been found not guilty on corruption charges on the second day of their trial…

Two Southern Regional Fisheries Board officials have been found not guilty on corruption charges on the second day of their trial.

Judge Kieran O'Connor in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court directed the jury to find the men not guilty following an application by defence counsel Mr Sean Ryan SC.

Judge O'Connor discharged Mr Edward Haley, Polerone, Mooncoin, Co Kilkenny, and Mr Edward Casey, Lisadell, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, who both had pleaded not guilty to two charges under the Corruption Act.

They had denied that being agents of the SRFB they corruptly accepted from Mr James Lenane a sum of money as an inducement or reward for showing favour or forbearing to show disfavour to Lencraft Boats Ltd in the affairs or business of the board.

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The offences were alleged to have happened between November 15th and December 15th, 1991, and between December 17th and 31st, 1993.

Judge O'Connor granted an application by Mr Kenneth Connolly, for the Commissioner of Inquiry into the SFRB, for a transcript of the hearing. He also directed that a copy of the transcript be made available to the defence.

Mr Connolly said the commissioner's inquiry into the affairs of the board was still ongoing and the outcome of the case had a bearing on the employment of Mr Casey and Mr Haley who had been suspended from their work.