GUILTY PLEA | 

Ex-FG mayor who admitted laundering €2.6m in crime cash to be sentenced in July

Frank Kilbride (69) came before a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday to face three counts of money laundering.

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A former Fine Gael local politician and country music personality has formally entered guilty pleas to laundering over €2.6m.

Frank Kilbride (69), of Aughakilmore, Ballinalee, Co Longford came before a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday to face three counts of money laundering.

The two time Longford county mayor had previously signed guilty pleas in the District Court last month arising out of incidents between September 2017 and March 2019.

Mr Kilbride is a well-established figure in country music circles and anchored his own TV show for a number of years on Sky TV.

A noted businessman and hotelier, Mr Kilbride also served as a postmaster for over two decades as well as holding down a local radio presenter’s role for more than 30 years.

He has also previously served as a Fine Gael county councillor for 15 years and ran unsuccessfully in Dáil and Seanad elections before leaving the party and later bowing out of politics for good.

The charges stem from a long running investigation conducted by detectives in Cavan that date back over six years ago.

The first charge alleges that on various dates between September 27, 2017 and November 26, 2017 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €10,000 – while knowing that, believing that or being reckless as to whether or not the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

The second charge states that on various dates between October 5, 2017 and March 27, 2018 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €1,727,420.28.

The third alleges that on various dates between November 30, 2017 and March 15, 2019 he engaged in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct – approximately €867,143.80.

Mr Kilbride, did not speak in court besides confirming his name and his guilty plea to all three charges.

The north Longford native had initially pleaded guilty in the District Court to allow for the preparation of a psychiatric report.

Defence counsel, Vincent Heneghan SC, told Judge Kenneth Connolly that while those undertakings were progressing, it remained doubtful any such report would be completed by the end of court’s present seven-week session.

Mr Heneghan also submitted a request for Mr Kilbride’s bail conditions to be relaxed to allow him sign on once every two weeks as opposed to the once weekly order that was currently in place.

Judge Connolly acceded to that request and remanded Mr Kilbride on continuing bail to a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court on July 9.