A former Army sergeant from Dublin has been court-martialled in relation to the illegal sale of duty-free liquor and tobacco from a United Nations base in Cyprus last year.
The non-commissioned officer resigned from the Defence Forces at the start of the year but could still be court-martialled under the terms of the Defence Act.
He was tried in Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin on Tuesday and convicted on three charges of having illegal possession of documents.
The Defence Forces yesterday confirmed the man had been fined £450 and given a severe reprimand.
The case was heard in private and the man's identity has not been revealed. It is known he is in his 40s and from Dublin.
It is also understood that three other soldiers are to face courts-martial in the coming months over the resale of duty-free goods in Cyprus.
The illegal sale of the liquor and cigarettes came to light last summer and was investigated by civilian police working with the UN in Cyprus. It was discovered that more than £1 million worth of goods had been bought from the duty-free outlets inside UN bases and sold on the local black market.
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, discovered that Irish service personnel were involved during a visit to the UN headquarters in New York last summer and ordered an inquiry.
As a result four soldiers were brought home and charged with possession of documents relating to the purchase of the duty-free goods.
UN sources pointed out that troops from at least three other countries were also involved, and none is thought to have made large amounts of money from the racket.