Justice Minister Simon Harris has revealed that “good progress” has been made in the investigation into mob boss Daniel Kinahan.
Speaking to reporters at the annual conference of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Galway on Monday afternoon, Simon Harris indicated that investigations into the Kinahan cartel have significantly progressed.
Asked about the issue as we approach a year since Kinahan was hit with crippling US sanctions, Mr Harris said: “Well I’m very conscious of not commenting on specific and very ongoing and live garda investigations.
READ MORE: Mob boss Daniel Kinahan hasn't fled Dubai as he's spotted playing soccer in public
“(But) I’m extraordinarily proud of the gardai and their work with international partners in relation to this and I’m very satisfied that good progress has been made.”
His comments come as we approach one year since gardai, the DEA and the United States Treasury Department announced sanctions against godfather Christy Kinahan and his sons Daniel and Christy Jr.
The US government also issued an unprecedented $15M reward for any information that would lead to the prosecution of the Kinahans.
Mobster Daniel Kinahan is said to still be holed up in Dubai - where gardai are now set to permanently install a Garda Superintendent.
The UAE also announced crippling sanctions against Kinahan and froze bank accounts in connection to him.
The Minister was also asked about his new proposals to grant the Criminal Assets Bureau new powers that will stop mobsters from launching non-stop legal battles against the seizure of their assets deemed to be the proceeds of crime.
The new law would prevent anyone from taking constant legal cases like mob boss John Gilligan did for 20 years. Asked by reporters about the new law, Minister Harris stated that he hoped to have it in place by next year.
“The general scheme will go to cabinet in June and I expect the legislation to be passed in 2024. So I think it will be something that will be legally in place by next year.
“Principally it's to recognise that the Criminal Assets Bureau has been extraordinarily successful, a world leader in getting ill gotten gains off really serious criminals in this country,” he said.
“Other countries have looked at how we have done it and wanted to replicate that, but we can't be complacent. And I think there are two issues that primarily need to be fixed.”
Explaining how the scheme works he added: “The first you can have is criminals who can take basically court cases to delay the inevitable of an asset being taken and all the time get to live in the mansion or get to keep an asset they have no right to despite a court order - that doesn't make any sense.
“Under the new legislation a receiver would be appointed. So once the court has decided to attach an order the receiver will be in charge of the asset, not the criminal.
“The second thing is, seven years has to elapse before the assets can be disposed of, we're going to reduce that to two years.
“So taking the assets quicker and make sure if you're going to engage in spurious complaints and court cases go on for years and years, you're not living in a mansion when you're doing it.”
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