A MAN has appeared in court charged with defrauding the Department of Social Protection of thousands of euro over four years.
It will be alleged that Paul Murray (63) of no fixed abode but with an address in Thailand claimed in excess of a quarter of a million euro by making claims under nine different names.
He faces a number of sample charges relating to claims at Cavan, Trim and Mullingar.
Following his arrest as he left the social welfare office in Cavan on October 19th, he was interviewed and charged.
A preliminary hearing at Mullingar District Court was told yesterday that in reply to the sample charges, he replied: “I accept this.”
Garda Peter Kelly said the sample charges referred to three different identities and his bank accounts were currently being looked into. Garda Kelly objected to Mr Murray getting bail.
Since 2006 he said Mr Murray has claimed various payments, including disability allowance, jobseeker’s allowance and supplementary welfare allowance.
When arrested, a search of his person and vehicle uncovered 10 Irish birth certificates and one from the UK. He also had eight false UK driver’s licences and three passports, only one of which was in his own name.
Garda Kelly said Mr Murray returned to Ireland from Thailand every three months to sign on.
The passports were used not just for the purpose of making claims but also to travel around the world, he said. Mr Murray has had no permanent address in Ireland since 1974.
The investigation began three months ago and gardaí were “prepared and ready for interview” after Mr Murray was observed in Cavan signing on under the name of Thomas Murray with false documentation.
Gardaí have much of the original documentation he used to open bank accounts, he said, and a book of evidence would be ready within weeks.
They had evidence of six bank accounts and Murray “made full admissions regarding all aspects” of the investigation, he said.
Solicitor Redmond O’Regan applied for bail, saying his client was not in the best of health and had co-operated completely with gardaí.
He said Mr Murray was happy to surrender his own correct passport and would agree to any sign-on conditions requested by the State. However, Garda Kelly said he was not entirely satisfied that there aren’t other passports.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy refused bail and ordered that Mr Murray appear before Mullingar District Court again on November 4th.