Woman charged over money laundering at charity Console

The widow of the late founder of suicide prevention charity Console has appeared in court charged with fraudulent trading and money laundering over a 10 year period.

The case of Patricia Kelly (59) was mentioned briefly in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday.

Ms Kelly, of Alexandra Manor, Clane, Co Kildare, is the widow of the charity’s former chief executive Paul Kelly, who died earlier this year.

The court heard Patrick Gageby SC, will be defending Ms Kelly. An arraignment date was requested and Judge Martin Nolan set a date of December 2nd.

Ms Kelly did not speak during the brief hearing except to confirm she was in attendance. She is charged with two counts of fraudulent trading and one count of money laundering on dates between December 2006 and July 2016.

Misuse

On the first count she is charged that between December 6th, 2006 and May 31st, 2015, she was knowingly a party to the carrying on of a business — Console Suicide Bereavement Counselling Ltd — for fraudulent purpose; namely the misuse of the company’s property which was intended to be applied to the objectives of the company.

The second count relates to the same charge on dates between June 1st, 2015 and July 14th, 2016.

Ms Kelly is further charged with one count of money laundering, namely that between September 1st, 2010 and July 1st, 2016, she concealed the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of property of Console Ltd or behaved or was reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Kerida Naidoo SC will prosecute the case, the court heard.