A former Department of Justice employee has been jailed for 18 months for his role in a scam where visa extensions were issued to Chinese students in return for bribes.
Dara Revins (28), who made €20,000 from the scheme, worked in the Garda Immigration Bureau issuing visas to Chinese students who had come to Ireland to study English.
His co-accused, Bin Yang (26), referred students who didn't met the conditions for a visa extension to Revins.
A warrant was issued for Yang on March 6th, last after he failed to appear for his sentence hearing.
Revins, of Windmill Road, Crumlin would give them the extension and was paid up to €1,500 by Yang for each student. The students, all Chinese nationals, would pay Yang up to €4,000 for putting them in touch with Revins.
Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court said "since the foundation of the State, this country has been served, in the main, very well by its public servants and the community at large should be able to trust these people who have been put in a position to protect their interests".
She said that Revins had "grossly abused the trust placed in him simply for money".
Judge Delahunt accepted that Revins's abuse of alcohol at the time may have led to his involvement in the offence but noted that he still has not dealt with his addiction.
Inspector Maura Walsh told Dominic McGinn BL, prosecuting, that Yang, of Belton Park Gardens, Donnycarney, put a advertisement in a Chinese community newspaper offering to "help do any problems with visas".
Insp Walsh explained that immigrant students require a class attendance rate of over 85 per cent to qualify for a visa extension but many could not met this because they had to take on jobs. Instead they would contact Yang who would get Revins to issue an extension.
Insp Walsh said it was a "highly lucrative" scam with both men making up to €20,000 in total. She said Revins was caught when officials became suspicious of his work and carried out an examination of his bank account.
Gardaí searched his home on June 17th, 2005 and found two Chinese passports which Revins later admitted he was going to stamp in return for bribes. After his arrest he admitted several cases in interview where he had taken bribes in return for visas.
Yang was arrested on the same day and also admitted his part.
Revins pleaded guilty to three counts of accepting bribes in return for showing favour to others between December 1st, 2004 and June 17th, 2005. Yang pleaded guilty to five charges of bribing Revins between the same dates.