Special Criminal Court: A Co Cork chef arrested as part of a Garda investigation into IRA money-laundering was charged with membership of an illegal organisation at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday.
The head of the Garda Special Branch, Det Chief Supt Philip Kelly, told the court gardaí recovered £54,000 (€78,280) in a washing-powder box when Don Bullman was arrested.
He said: "I suspected that the £54,000 was a money-laundering operation on behalf of the IRA."
Mr Bullman (30), of Fernwood Crescent, Leghanamore, Wilton, Co Cork, was charged with membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, on February 16th.
Mr Bullman spoke only once during the hearing, to confirm his identity.
Det Sgt Rory Corcoran, of the Special Detective Unit, told the court he arrested Mr Bullman at 3.20 p.m. on Wednesday at Heuston Station in Dublin. He said he suspected him of having committed a scheduled offence, namely membership of an unlawful organisation.
He cautioned Mr Bullman, who replied: "Nothing to say."
Det Chief Supt Kelly said that at the time of his arrest, Mr Bullman was in a Northern-registered car with two Northern Ireland men. There was a Daz box on the back seat containing £54,000. He said six mobile phones were also found, and there was a powdered substance on the floor of the car that had to be forensically examined.
Cross-examined by Mr Bullman's counsel, Ms Anne Rowland, Det Chief Supt Kelly said he was aware Mr Bullman worked at a nursing home as a chef. Ms Rowland said her client had two jobs and worked 70 hours a week.
The detective chief superintendent said that from his briefing document, he was aware Mr Bullman catered for pubs as well as working at a nursing home.
He said that the two Northern men arrested with Mr Bullman had not been charged.
He said he had known about Mr Bullman's activities before his arrest, adding he was not going to reveal confidential information to which he was privy. He said a number of forensic tests were carried out on the Daz box, including fingerprint tests. "There was no conclusive evidence available from the fingerprints," he added.
He said there were no previous convictions recorded against Mr Bullman. Asked if he had given off-the-record briefings to journalists about Mr Bullman's arrest, he said: "It's not part of my job as Chief Superintendent of the Special Detective Unit to give interviews."
He said he was not aware that one newspaper had identified Mr Bullman as "a known republican", or that a newspaper had said Mr Bullman's brother was convicted of membership of an illegal organisation.
Asked if he was aware the Garda Commissioner had given a radio interview in which he said there was a subversive link to money found in various parts of the country, the chief superintendent said he was not, and added: "I was very busy this morning and did not have the time to read newspapers or listen to the radio."
Ms Rowland said her client had never been before a court before and his family was anxious that he should get bail. She said there had been "prejudicial publicity" about him which could prejudice his trial.
Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan, presiding, warned the media that they could report what was said in court but they were not entitled to speculate in a manner that could prejudice a trial. Mr Bullman was remanded in custody until Monday when a bail application is expected to be made.