TWO FORMER executives of the Goodman owned Anglo Irish Beef Processors plant at Rathkeale, Co Limerick, are anxious to carry out community service orders in relation to their roles in a £900,000 intervention beef fraud, Judge Cyril Kelly was told yesterday.
Six year sentences were imposed on an accountant, Sean Goodwin, and a boning hall manager, Anthony Butler, in October 1995 by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after they pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime.
They were also disqualified from serving as company directors in the State for six years. But a stay was put on the implementation of the prison sentences until they each completed 240 hours community service.
Judge Kelly was told in November 1996 that the community service orders had not been started due to a technical administrative problem. The court had not made an order to have the men assessed by the Probation Service and community service could not be undertaken without a probation report.
Defence counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC told Judge Kelly the assessment had now been completed and both were found to be suitable for community work.
Mr Gageby said the probation service found Goodwin would be suitable for a gardening project, which was due to start soon, and Butler also had a valuable contribution to make to the community.
Both men were anxious to comply with the requirements of the court, he said.
Judge Kelly further adjourned finalisation of the case to July 7th next to allow them complete their community service.
Goodwin (48), of Portland Estate, Newcastlewest, and Butler (35), of Tough, Adare, both Co Limerick, admitted they conspired together and with a person or persons unknown to defraud the Minister for Agriculture by wrongfully misappropriating beef from the intervention line at the AIBP plant in Rathkeale, thus exposing the Minister for Agriculture to loss or damage.
They pleaded guilty to committing the offences on dates unknown from December 1st, 1989, to July 17th, 1990 from July 17th, 1990, to February 7th, 1991 and from February 7th, 1991, to October 6th, 1991.
A total of £905,000 was defrauded in 121 intervention beef contract claims from the Rathkeale plant to the Minister for Agriculture in the period July 1990 to August 1991, Supt Michael McCarthy had told the court at a previous hearing.
Supt McCarthy added that the Goodman owned plant submitted a total of 528 intervention claims from 1988 to 1991. However, neither of the two men benefited personally from the fraud. Only the company profited.
The plant's intervention licence had been suspended, he said at the earlier hearing.