A traffic warden was ordered by the High Court yesterday to disclose what he did with some €300,000 he allegedly took from parking machines at Dunnes Stores public car-park, Ennis, Co Clare.
Mr Chris Harford, Cluain Ard, Kilmaley, Ennis, is already the subject of a court order made last October which prevents him reducing his assets in the State below €350,000.
In an affidavit, Ms Josephine Cotter Coughlan, senior executive officer with Ennis Town Council, said Mr Harford was responsible for collecting money from the machines in the car-park since October 1999.
Following an investigation, it was discovered that one machine had recorded that €36,083 had been paid into that machine for parking tickets between March 15th and September 15th this year, but Mr Harford's records indicated that only €2,919 had been returned to the council.
Records indicated several periods during which no coins were returned from three machines since June last year.
Ms Coughlan said an examination by the council in relation to monies paid into the machines at the car-park since October 1999 showed €298,538 was missing. Mr Harford had admitted taking the money.
Ms Coughlan said it appeared Mr Harford had bank accounts into which sums in the region of €200,000 had been paid by him since December 2001. When asked for his proposals to return the money, Mr Harford suggested that he sell certain items (expected to realise €10,000) and pay €500 to €1,000 a month. This was unacceptable to the council, she said.
Mr Justice Kelly directed that Mr Harford disclose what he did with the money and disclose his bank accounts and assets.