Shamed socialite Marcus Sweeney claimed he was once offered work with the Secret Service - to infiltrate conspiracists.
The restaurateur – who a High Court judge described as “up to his oxters” in organised crime – has also blamed the media for linking him “with a high level of crime”. The 45-year-old said: “They asked me if I would be interested in having a position like a socialite where you could meet people at airports who were spies or here for conspiracy reasons.
“They wanted me to infiltrate them and monitor their movements around Dublin."
