The Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday quashed the conviction of Mr Kevin Meehan (61), who was jailed for five years in May 2000. The court decided that there should not be a retrial and Mr Meehan was freed. He was convicted at the Special Criminal Court two years ago on six counts of money laundering contrary to the Criminal Justice Act, 1994.
The money laundering was alleged to have taken place in 1995 and 1996 and involved sterling bank drafts and cash. The transactions were alleged to have taken place in Dublin and in Vienna, Austria.
Mr Meehan, of Kimmage, Dublin, is the father of Brian Meehan, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.
Mr Justice Abbott - sitting with Mr Justice Fennelly and Mr Justice Lavan - said it was patently unjust that Kevin Meehan should have had a conviction comprising a reference to drug trafficking recorded against him when the trial court was not satisfied there was evidence against him on that issue.