Man appears before Letterkenny court on 80 fraud charges

A man has appeared in a Letterkenny court facing 80 charges of theft and fraud.

The man, Ali Tariq, with an address at Oliver Plunkett Road, has been sent forward for trial at the next sitting of Letterkenny Circuit Court.

All the charges relate to deception of money at the Department of Social Protection.

Letterkenny District Court heard the accused had been arrested at Rosemount Lane in Letterkenny.

He faces 75 charges that he did dishonestly by deception induce the Department of Social Protection to do an act to wit process a claim for jobseekers allowance in the name of Usman Zaib Khichee in the amount of €140 with the intention of making gain for yourself and causing loss to another.

All these charges relate to offices of the Department Of Social Protection in Mallow, Co Cork.

He also faces five charges that he did engage in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing or using the said property that was the proceeds of criminal conduct to wit money paid to you by Post Draft by the Department of Social Protection in the name of Usman Zaib Khichee while knowing that (or being reckless as to whether or not the said property was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

These charges relate to dates between September 2, 2013 and November 4, 2014.

All are Contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

The 41-year-old accused did not speak during his brief hearing before Judge Ciaran Liddy at Letterkenny District Court.

A book of evidence was served on the accused.

His solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, asked for two counsel, including a senior and a junior, for Tariq's trial.

The case was adjourned to April 23, 2024 at Letterkenny Circuit Court.