Cab case to cost ex-IRA man up to €550,000

A former member of the Provisional IRA and Crumlin Road jail escaper has lost his Supreme Court challenge to a Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) ruling against him.

Anthony Sloan, originally from Belfast but with an address in Dundalk, Co Louth, now faces paying up to €550,000 in payments to Cab and in legal fees following his unsuccessful challenge to the bureau's case against him.

Three years ago Cab initially sought almost €200,000 from Mr Sloan for undeclared income, penalties and interest.

In November 2002 Mr Sloan secured leave from the High Court to challenge Cab's right to assess him for income tax.

He claimed he should not have been assessed for tax by Cab because the payments being demanded from the bureau were not the proceeds of crime.

Mr Sloan alleged that arising out of the assessments, attachment notices had been sent in the name of the Cab to his principal customer, the North Eastern Health Board.

Not only did the health board pay over substantial sums to the Cab, which were due to him, but the board had also terminated all business relationships with him.

Mr Sloan said the board presumably did this believing he was involved in serious crime. He claimed that attachment notices may only be raised in the name of the Revenue Commissioners and not in the name of the Cab.

Mr Sloan was being asked to pay a tax bill of £51,282 covering a three-year period between 1993-1996 together with interest of £83,429, making a total of £134,711 or under €200,000.

The case finally ended in the Supreme Court last week where Cab's action against Mr Sloan was upheld. The case has not been reported on until now.

Costs were also awarded against Mr Sloan. That means he owes Cab about €200,000 in payments and faces a legal bill of up to €350,000.

He came to the Republic where he was arrested and served a prison sentence relating to the escape. He was released in 1989 and in 1992 rented a house in Dundalk.

It was alleged during the Cab case that in the early to mid 1990s, Mr Sloan was a "very important member of the Provisional IRA". He supported the peace process in the North and in December 2000 was granted a royal pardon.