FINES TOTALLING €6,250 were imposed yesterday on Meath GAA footballer Graham Geraghty (38) and his wife Amanda for failing to return statements of their financial affairs to the Revenue Commissioners.
The couple have an address at Higginstown, Athboy, Co Meath, and the offences took place on dates in April and June 2010, Kells District Court was told.
The offences were contrary to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.
Mr Geraghty was a Fine Gael candidate in the 2007 general election. The court was told by Kevin Martin, solicitor for the couple, that the returns had been filed on Thursday, but he acknowledged there had been a delay in doing this. He said pleas of guilty were being made to the summonses and he asked Judge Patrick McMahon to deal with the case.
Mr Martin said that while both spouses had been summonsed, “one statement of affairs would elicit enough information” for both.
The two summonses for Ms Geraghty relate to the years 2004 and 2008, while her husband had three summonses – one each for the years 2000, 2004 and 2008.
State solicitor William O’Reilly said the maximum penalty was €5,000 on each summons but this could be mitigated.
The judge said he would be mitigating the fines and Mr O’Reilly said he would like Declan Rigney from the Revenue Commissioners to give evidence in relation to mitigation.
Mr Rigney is principal officer with the Revenue Commissioners in Meath. Judge McMahon then said he was mitigating the penalties on all summonses to €1,250.
In all, Mr Geraghty was fined €3,750 and his wife was fined €2,500. They have six months to pay the fines.
