Other stories in brief...
Three found guilty of credit card scam
Three international credit card scammers were found guilty yesterday following a three-week trial.
The three all have addresses in London and had pleaded not guilty to a total of 16 charges each under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001.
They were found guilty unanimously on all 16 counts.
Mohammed Majid (38), with an address at Jones Road, London; Ali Raza (48), of North Green, Leyton, London; and Mohammed Kahleed ( 25), with an address at Gilbey's Yard, Oval Road, London, were before Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Gardaí believe the men were part of an East London crime gang specialising in credit card fraud.
The men will be sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin today.
Judgment reserved in extradition case
The High Court has reserved judgment on an application for the extradition to France of a foreign national whose identity remains uncertain but who is believed by gardaí to be the son of Colombian diplomats.
The man denies he is Juan Carlos Guzman Betancourt and claims he is the orphan son of gypsies who escaped from a Spanish orphanage at the age of 10.
He is serving a two-year sentence here for burglary at a Dublin hotel and using a stolen credit card to buy luxury items at city centre jewellers.
He is due to be freed from custody next month.
The man, alleged by the State to be Juan Carlos Guzman Betancourt (30), from Colombia, but claiming to be Alejandro Cuenca (25), from Spain, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March to entering a suite in the Merrion Hotel and stealing a ruby ring, a passport, a wallet containing credit cards, $3,500 in cash and €250 in cash on June 16th, 2005.
He also pleaded guilty to using a stolen credit card to buy a Rolex watch, a gold chain and a wedding ring.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Michael Peart heard the application for extradition, moved by Ms Aileen Donnelly SC, for the State.
She said the court could be satisfied from fingerprint evidence that the man was the person named in the extradition warrant as Juan Carlos Guzman Betancourt.
She also said it was clear he would be entitled to a retrial in France on the charges of using stolen credit cards.
Mr Conor Devalley SC, for the man, opposed the application, arguing his client was not the person named in the warrant and that there was no guarantee he would receive a retrial in France.
Mr Justice Peart said he would give judgment on December 20th next.
Man denies being member of IRA
A 38-year-old Dundalk man denied under oath yesterday in the Special Criminal Court that he was a member of the IRA.
Séamus McMahon also denied any knowledge of 10 9mm bullets wrapped in socks which gardaí found when they stopped the car in which he was travelling with his wife and 10-year-old son on the M1 outside Dundalk.
Mr McMahon, of Ashbrook, Dundalk, has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on October 7th, 2004.
The trial continues today.