Convicted drug dealer, John Gilligan, and his wife, Geraldine Gilligan, have failed in separate legal proceedings aimed at preventing an inquiry by the Special Criminal Court into whether he profited from drug activities. The inquiry is due to open on Monday. John Gilligan, who was jailed for 28 years last March in relation to drugs offences, failed in his Supreme Court attempt. Shortly afterwards, his wife failed to get a High Court order stopping the inquiry proceeding.
Gilligan was convicted of 11 offences, but acquitted on a charge of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin on June 26th, 1996. The State is seeking to confiscate some £14.2 million which it alleges were Gilligan's profits from importing 20,000 kilos of cannabis resin.