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A man appeared before the Special Criminal Court without a jury on Monday charged with laundering money for expenses at a five-star hotel in south Dublin and carrying out renovations to his home.
Graham Whelan (38), residing at Walkinstown Avenue, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, appeared before the three-judge court charged with 10 unscheduled crimes including drug trafficking related charges.
The court was informed that Mr. Whelan refused to deal with the arresting officer when he attempted to explain the merits of the charges.
Mr. Whelan is in charge of converting, transferring, manipulating, acquiring, possessing or using money amounting to € 1,275 and € 2,140 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, on January 31, 2019, knowing or believing or being reckless in as to whether the money was the product of criminal conduct. € 2,140 was paid for a room in the hotel. The hotel is not charged with any crime.
The defendant is also charged with converting, transferring, manipulating, acquiring, possessing or using an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Gentleman watch at the same time and in the same place.
Mr. Whelan is also charged with possessing or controlling a checklist and a mobile phone in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable inference that he possessed or controlled it for a purpose related to the commission, preparation, facilitation or instigation of a crime. of drug trafficking in the country. same occasion.
Furthermore, Mr. Whelan is charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis in a hotel room on the same date. He is also charged with possession of cannabis on Walkinstown Avenue on May 1, 2019.
The defendant is also charged with concealing and disguising the true nature or source of the money used in the improvement and / or remodeling of his home between August 21, 2018 and May 1, 2019, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the money was the product of criminal conduct.
Det Garda Donal Donoghue testified before the Special Criminal Court of the arrest, charge and reprimand of Mr. Whelan. He told State Attorney Ciara Vibien that he arrested the defendant on Walkinstown Avenue at 12:35 p.m. Monday afternoon.
The detective told Keith Spencer, defending, that he was opposed to bail.
Spencer asked the court for the bail request to be processed on Monday, as he said the charges were clearly related to 2018 and 2019 and that his client had remained in the jurisdiction ever since.
The detective agreed with the lawyer that his client’s lawyer had previously written to Gardaí indicating that the defendant could appear at a Garda police station if he was to be charged.
Vibien told the three-judge panel that Gardaí had serious objections to the bail and was concerned about Whelan’s access to the money. The State Attorney requested that the accused remain in detention until Wednesday morning.
The defense attorney said his client only proposed to reside at his home address in Walkinstown, where he cared for his four children, and explained to the court that the defendant’s wife had recently passed away.
Judge Michael MacGrath, sitting with Judge Sinéad Ní Chulachain and Judge Dermot Dempsey, placed the defendant in custody until Wednesday morning, when a request for bail will be submitted to the court.
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