Former FG Dungarvan councilor goes on trial in relation to corruption charges

[PaddyJoe]

A former Fine Gael councillor has gone on trial for allegedly taking €80,000 in corrupt payments from a property developer.
I don't know the background to this one but it looks like it could get very interesting:

Fred Forsey Junior, aged 42, from Abbeyside, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, is pleading not guilty to the six counts.
His trial before a jury of eight men and four women started at Waterford Circuit Court today and could last up to six weeks.
The former Dungarvan town councillor and driving instructor is denying receiving corrupt payments of €60,000, €10,000 and €10,000 from a property developer in 2006.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0508/wat...medium=twitter

[Dr. FIVE]

Governor General?

[PaddyJoe]

Oops. Actually this isn't a new story. It goes back to August 2010:

Michael Ryan, 58, who runs the famous Al Eile stud at Kilgobnet outside Dungarvan, was back in court today after having been arrested last week along with 41-year-old Fred Forsey Jnr, a former town councillor in Dungarvan.
Both men are facing six charges relating to three separate payments Mr Ryan is alleged to have made to Mr Forsey in 2006 - one for €60,000 and two other payments of €10,000 each.
The charges allege the payments were made in August, October and December of that year to induce or reward in the making of representations to officials and/or members of Waterford County Council and Dungarvan Town Council to support a proposed development of lands at Ballygagin, which were the subject of a planning application in the name of ORS partners.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0810/ryanm_forseyf.html

[Slim Buddha]

It is easy to throw the sh1t at FF for planning corruption because there was so much of it and, well, that is what FF do. But FG have serious questions to answer on planning corruption and have got an easy ride on this from the media so far, mainly because FF were so bloody awful and so blatantly corrupt.

Our entire planning system needs to be radically overhauled and planning needs to be placed into the arena of the criminal law with mandatiry sentencing for transgressors.

[DCon]

Oops. Actually this isn't a new story. It goes back to August 2010:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0810/ryanm_forseyf.html

In todays paper

THE ex-wife of a former councillor contacted a government TD to tell him her husband had received tens of thousands of euro from a property developer, a court heard yesterday.

Waterford Fine Gael deputy John Deasy gave evidence at the trial of Fred Forsey Jnr at Waterford Circuit Court.

Mr Deasy replied that he had "no idea" about Mr Forsey's finances. He agreed that he had asked Mr Forsey to relinquish his seat on Dungarvan Town Council when he discovered his plans to move to Australia and that Mr Forsey "eventually" gave up his seat.

Mr Phelan put it to Mr Deasy that he had phoned the accused and told him "not to ever come back to Ireland".

He claimed Mr Deasy had said: "Have a good life. Goodbye." Mr Deasy said this was not his recollection.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...e-3103040.html

[DCon]

Not very bright, these FG Councillors.

In an astonishing day of evidence, it emerged yesterday that:

- Mrs Forsey's marriage to the former Fine Gael councillor broke down after he sent a text message meant for his new lover to their teenage daughter.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...l-3103854.html

Although it says a lot, that we need an alleged extra marital affair to have alleged corruption revealed..

[homer]

Careful guys of subjudice rules - jury trial in progress

[C. Flower]

Careful guys of subjudice rules - jury trial in progress

Seconded. The trial can be discussed once its over.

For safety's sake, I'm locking the thread. Once the trial is over, it can be reopened.