Four long years have passed since the corrupt dealings of George Redmond, a former Dublin city and county assistant manager, were first drawn to the attention of the public by the Flood tribunal.
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) investigated his conduct and, yesterday, he was found guilty on two counts of corruption at the Circuit Criminal Court. The 79-year-old former public servant has been remanded in custody. Sentencing will take place on December 17th.
The delay between the initial investigation and the conviction for corruption has been far too long, although there was some justification for it. The result has been an erosion of public confidence in the work of tribunals.
This is the first criminal conviction of a senior public figure in relation to corruption in the planning process. It will, hopefully, be the first of many. And it may act as a deterrent to others. Until recently, it was extremely difficult to bring successful prosecutions for fraud and dishonesty in public life because the relevant laws dated as far back as 1889. A new Criminal Justice Fraud Act has, however, changed that situation, although it was not applicable to this particular case.
White collar crime has been largely ignored in this society. Even when successful prosecutions are taken, the penalties tend to be moderate. Redmond was charged in 1999 for failing to make tax returns between 1988 and 1998. And he was fined €9,500 by a judge, following submissions by his legal team detailing poor health and near destitution. The case arose from his arrest by CAB officers at Dublin airport with a holdall containing €383,000 in cash and stockbroker cheques. He settled with the Revenue for €993,000 in tax, interest and penalties.
Investigative work by the Flood tribunal was critical to the success of the corruption case against Redmond. It learned about the Lucan garage owner, Mr Brendan Fassnidge, and his dealings with Redmond. It heard the assistant manager had been at the hub of planning activities in Dublin county and had received payments from the building firm, JMSE, and from other developers. It found that while Redmond was employed at a relatively modest salary of €24,000 in 1988, his investments were worth more than €830,000. And he lodged €217,000 to his various accounts in that year.
The revelations in relation to Redmond were as shocking as those detailed by Mr Frank Dunlop when he gave evidence of political and corporate corruption on planning matters. Anecdotal evidence of corruption at the heart of the planning process became reality. It put into context Mr Dunlop's payment of at least €126,000 to county councillors to secure planning permissions during 1991/93. The planning process in Dublin was rotten. Many of those involved have pleaded amnesia. It is not good enough. If successful criminal prosecutions cannot be taken, then perjury charges should be brought or penalties for obstruction imposed.