Alison O’Riordan
The wife of Declan Brady and another woman have pleaded guilty at the non-jury Special Criminal Court today to two crime cash laundering offences.
Deirdre Brady (53) and Erika Lukacs (37) were originally charged with a total of 52 money laundering offences when they first came before the court last February.
Ms Brady is charged with 36 non-scheduled offences and Ms Lukacs is charged with 16 non-scheduled offences. All the charges come under Section 7 of Criminal Justice Act 2010 and relate to money laundering and terrorist financing within the State.
Ms Brady, of The Bailey, Castlefarm, Naas, Co Kildare and Ms Lukacs, with an address at Lakelands, Naas, Co Kildare were arraigned before the three-judge court today and each pleaded guilty to one count on the indictment.
Proceeds of criminal conduct
Deirdre Brady is the wife of Declan Brady (55), with an address at The Park, Wolstan Abbey, Celbridge, Co Kildare, who was also charged at the Special Criminal Court with 16 offences relating to money laundering and the concealment of crime cash.
Ms Brady this morning pleaded guilty to concealing or disguising the true nature or source of money credited to a Permanent TSB Account on various dates between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2014, within the State, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property, in the names of Declan Brady and Deirdre Brady, was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Ms Lukacs admitted to concealing or disguising the true nature or source of money credited to an Allied Irish Bank account on various dates between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, within the State, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property, in the name of Erika Lukacs, was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge David McHugh, remanded Ms Brady and Ms Lukacs on continuing bail until June 14, for a sentence hearing.
Husband charged
Co-accused Declan Brady, who appeared via videolink from Mountjoy prison for the brief hearing, was granted legal aid by the three-judge panel and remanded in custody to April 23rd.
The Kildare man is charged with concealing cash to the value of €2,000 and UK£10,000 within a breadbin at The Dairy, Rathasker Road, Naas, Co Kildare on January 24th, 2017, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of crime.
Brady is also charged with concealing cash to the value of €268,940 in the attic of The Dairy, Rathasker Road, Naas, Co Kildare on the same date.
He is further charged with concealing, disguising, converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using money credited to Ulster Bank Account and Permanent TSB, in the names of Declan Brady and Deirdre Brady, on various dates between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2016, within the State, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
In addition, he is charged with possessing, using, converting, transferring or handling €27,265 in discharging sums due and owing to the Druids Glen Hotel in Co Wicklow, on dates between May 1st and May 4th, 2015, the proceeds of criminal conduct.
On February 19th, three detectives from the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), gave evidence to the Special Criminal Court of the arrest, charge and caution of the three accused. Three books of evidence were served on each of the defendants and USB keys containing the exhibits were attached to the books of evidence.
