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Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said that she clearly remembers that journalist Veronica Guerin was shot dead despite being only 10 years old and says that since then the Criminal Assets Office has confiscated € 194 million from criminals.
The minister said the office remains a “bright light” in the fight against criminal gangs and, while it was established for emotional reasons, it has stood the test of time. She says the intention of the state is to ensure that Ireland remains tough on organized crime and that crime bosses will be as responsible as those who carry out their orders in the future.
“This year we had the largest budget in the history of the state of almost 2 billion euros to support the Garda force. Much work has been done and there is much to be done, ”he says in a new documentary that will be screened tonight about Virgin.
“When Veronica Guerin was murdered, I was only 10 years old at the time, but I have a very clear and different memory of seeing it on the news, seeing the photo of her car on the road and seeing that photo that people recognize from she. I remember knowing at the time that it was a journalist who had been killed by criminals simply for doing her job. Even though I was young and it seems like a long time ago, it’s still a very clear memory in my mind. “
The 34-year-old woman, who recently announced that she is pregnant with her first child, won government approval earlier this year to extend her sentence for conspiracy for murder charges from 10 years to life in prison. “We want to make sure that it is not just the person who pulls the trigger, but the person at the top who orders the murder who is held responsible,” said the minister.
The documentary Gilligan: The End of the Line details how the crime lord faces a lengthy prison sentence in Spain after he was arrested last October during a gun and drug raid on a villa in Torrevieja on the outskirts of Alicante . It will chart its long battle with the Bureau of Criminal Assets that will mark 25 years of existence next year.
“CAB has been a shining light leading the development of other states in what it has done to help police and gardai officers confront criminal gangs and this type of criminal activity. If you look at the figure now, it is 194 million euros in assets that are the proceeds of crime that have been confiscated since it was enacted and since it came into force. That’s a testament to how powerful it is. The fact that I have disabled and disarmed so many of these gangs and that I have done it so publicly has been a very good thing and I think it sends a very clear message that we will not tolerate this type of behavior and this type of thinking is being strengthening in our communities where innocent people are caught in the crossfire, ”said the minister.
On the show, CAB chief Michael Gubbins says that Gilligan’s lengthy appeals and motions against the CAB, which lasted until 2017, served to ‘test’ the benefits of anti-crime legislation that he has resisted with steadfast all challenges.
“If you think about it, it was the activities of John Gilligan’s Organized Crime Group that led to the establishment of the Office of Criminal Assets as an organization. Our proceedings against Gilligan and members of her family began in 1996 and ended in 1997. The appeals and motions on their part continued until 2017 when we finally disposed of their assets, that is, 21 years.
“He is currently taking a case under the European Convention on Human Rights against Ireland and the Office due to the delay in the whole process. All I can say about it is that we will defend him vigorously,” he said. is here 25 years later because of the actions of Gilligan OCG and is here forever for the community and citizens. It is considered a gold standard for other agencies worldwide. We are working for the people of Ireland and reaching globally. “
Minister McEntee says the office grows stronger every year. “Just because something sets up quickly doesn’t mean it’s not good. There was an emotional reason for mentioning it. Veronica Guerin’s death shocked so many people in a way that they did not think possible and to see someone who was doing their job and reporting on this type of crime killed in that way. It encouraged people to go and do something to get to the heart itself, to go for their money and for the items they own.
“I think Gardaí has shown determination in tackling all forms of gang crime and targeting those below as well as those above. We have seen how these types of gangs can take over communities and our younger people and a series of operations targeting this activity are currently underway.
Gilligan: The End of the Line will air on Virgin Media One tonight at 9pm.
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