A FORMER Tesco Ireland executive has been charged with fraudulently taking €116,000 from the supermarket chain.
Paul Slevin (46), of Carpenterstown Road, Castleknock, Co Dublin, left Tesco in 2008, where he had held a position of category director. Yesterday, he was charged by the fraud squad with deception under section 6 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act.
He is accused of inducing Tesco Ireland into paying an extra €116,470 in relation to travel services provided to the company.
The charge also alleges this was to “make a gain for yourself or another” and happened at the group’s head office in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on November 1st, 2007.
Det Sgt Martin Griffin of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation told Judge William Hamill at Dublin District Court the former executive was arrested yesterday morning.
He was brought to the Bridewell Garda station in Dublin and charged and cautioned, after which he replied “No”. Det Sgt Griffin said the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed Mr Slevin is to face trial on indictment and the book of evidence in the case would be completed in four weeks.
The direction means the case will be sent forward for trial to the Circuit Court after a book of evidence has been served on Mr Slevin. Det Sgt Griffin told the court there was no objection to bail as Mr Slevin is a resident in the State. Defence solicitor Aoife Corridon said there was consent to the case being put back for four weeks.
Judge Hamill remanded Mr Slevin on bail in his own bond of €500 to appear again on May 11th next.
Mr Slevin did not address the court during the brief hearing and has not yet indicated how he intends to plead.
A person convicted on indictment for deception is liable to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both.