Well-known solicitor arrested in probe over alleged fraudulent injury claims

January 26 2022 07:38 PM

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A WELL-known solicitor has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into organised criminal activity.

He was one of three people who were detained by gardaí in Co Limerick earlier this week. The arrests relate to suspicions about the alleged facilitation of fraudulent personal injury claims.

The alleged frauds that are under examination date back to between eight and 10 years ago.

The investigation is being led locally with the backing of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB).

It is thought a dozen detectives from the special unit are helping local detectives with the investigation.

The arrests took place on Monday. The three were detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Two were detained at Henry Street garda station and the other man at Roxboro Road garda station. They can be held for seven days.

A garda statement said the three people were arrested as part of “an ongoing investigations into organised criminal activity in the greater Limerick area”.

Over the last three years, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau has been involved in a massive nationwide trawl against solicitors who they suspect of being involved in criminal activity related to a number of separate cases.

Last October, the Irish Independent revealed that a female solicitor was arrested by fraud squad detectives who are carrying out a major investigation into false insurance claims.

In her case, most of the false ‘compo’ claims related to fake traffic accidents that involve individuals who do not even exist.

“Before the insurance company reported the matter to gardaí, they noticed certain similarities in the claims and the attached medical reports which aroused suspicion,” a senior source said at the time.

“A doctor based in the UK is also under active investigation in relation to this case for providing false medical certs,” the source added.

Last March, a Munster-based solicitor was arrested as part of another Garda National Economic Crime Bureau probe. The solicitor was questioned about alleged deception and money laundering offences as well as allegedly giving misleading evidence under Section 25 of the Civil Liabilities Act.

A Dublin-based solicitor was arrested and released without charge in June 2020 as part of the same investigation.

The gang at the centre of the case in which those two solicitors were arrested was involved in a number of bogus claims for trips and falls against South Dublin and Kildare county councils.

A woman is a key member of the family-based organised crime gang suspected of making up to 60 fraudulent claims against local authorities in Dublin and Kildare over a number of years which has netted them huge money.

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