A Dublin businessman, Mr Peter Bolger, who has alleged that an attempt to extradite him to Britain is the result of "dirty tricks" by the Dublin-based Criminal Assets Bureau, was granted bail by the High Court yesterday.
Mr Bolger, of Glendown Lawn, Templeogue, Dublin, was arrested at his home on Tuesday on foot of 14 extradition warrants issued by the London Metropolitan police.
However, before the District Court could deal with the extradition application on Tuesday, his lawyers applied for an Article 40 inquiry into the legality of his detention.
The matter came before Ms Justice Laffoy on Tuesday where lawyers for the CAB said they were not involved in Mr Bolger's detention. The matter was adjourned until yesterday when it came before Mr Justice O'Higgins.
In court yesterday, Mr Justice O'Higgins ordered Mr Bolger to hand up his passport and fixed bail in his own bond of £1,000 with an independent surety of £5,000. He ordered Mr Bolger to attend at Terenure Garda station twice a week and attend district court hearings of his extradition proceedings.
Before the bail conditions were fixed, Mr Donal O'Donnell, for the CAB, told the judge he understood Mr Bolger had been brought before a District Court and had been committed to prison.
Dr Michael Forde SC, for Mr Bolger, said he was informed that in 1996 an attempt was made to extradite his client and that this had been refused by the District Court.
The same British policeman who had sworn the warrant in 1996 had now sworn a fresh warrant in respect of the same matter. Dr Forde said he understood that once an extradition application failed, the British authorities could not make a second application.
Mr Robert Barron, counsel for the Garda Commissioner, said he believed there had been a wrong address given during the 1996 application for Mr Bolger's extradition.
Dr Forde said his client contended that the CAB was engaged in "dirty tricks". The bureau probably believed that it would lose a case it had brought against Mr Bolger, counsel said.
When applying for bail, Dr Forde said there was no possibility of Mr Bolger disappearing to South America. His client was defending a CAB claim in relation to £300,000 that allegedly belonged to him and associates. The money had been seized by the CAB, which then secured a court order to restrain Mr Bolger from using the money. .