A former insurance broker was yesterday charged with defrauding several of his clients of more than £250,000 (€317,430) when he appeared at Cork District Court.
Mr Andrew Casey (37) from Woodlands, Montenotte, Cork, was charged with fraudulently converting to his own use a total of £264,000 entrusted to him by five clients between July 1996 and February 1999.
The money should have been invested with Norwich Union, Irish Life, Irish Permanent, NZI Life and Canada Life, the State alleges. Mr Casey was charged with seven counts of fraudulent conversion for his own use of sums of £100,000, £31,000, £10,000, £38,000, £30,000 (twice) and £25,000 and a further eight counts of forging documents.
Det Garda Mick Tierney said Mr Casey made no reply when he was arrested, charged and cautioned. The Director of Public Prosecutions had directed, he added, that Mr Casey should be tried by judge and jury in Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge O'Leary said the charges were substantial and he remanded Mr Casey on his own bond of £10,000 to appear again at Cork District Court on April 12th.