It’s the FBI reland!
Leo set to ‘beef up’ investigator body but only to tackle white collar crime
IRELAND will soon have it’s own version of the FBI, but only to tackle corporate crime, Leo Varadkar told the Dáil yesterday.
The plans to ‘beef up’ the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement come after repeated criticisms that it is understaffed, with only 34 specialist staff and seven gardaí seconded to it.
The agency is currently before the High Court seeking to have inspectors appointed to the country’s largest publishing group, Independent News and Media.
The Taoiseach said the Government intends ‘to strengthen, expand and beef up’ the agency. ‘It will be moved from being an office within the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation to a stand-alone bureau of investigation,’ he said.
‘It will be a sort of Irish FBI, if one likes, when it comes to whitecollar crime and corporate enforcement.’
The US bureau tackled gangsterism and the Mafia, brought charges against Wall Street rogues and investigated the Watergate break-in, which brought down President Richard Nixon. It also plays a role in intelligence gathering and counter-terrrorism.
Mr Varadkar said the ODCE’s new powers and greater independence will be conferred by the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Bill, which will complete its passage through the Dáil next week. It is then planned to bring all stages through the Seanad and to have it passed before the summer recess.
‘The Bill includes legislative provision for the recommendations from the Mahon Tribunal,’ Mr Varadkar said, referring to the Dublin Castle inquiry into allegedly improper payments.
He said the strengthened corporate investigations body would substantially advance Ireland in meeting its obligations under several international anti-corruption agreements.
‘It will mean major modernisation of the law on corruption offences,’ he said. ‘It will repeal and replace seven previous Prevention of Corruption Acts, some of them dating back to 1889. It will consolidate, update and strengthen for modern times.’
He gave the example of the new legislation making it an offence to launder the proceeds of bribery outside Ireland involving a foreign public official, even if the bribery was not an offence in the place in which it was carried out.
Mr Varadkar noted objections about having all the legislation in the world, which would count for little if not enforced. However, he promised the ODCE would act on its powers.
Independent TD Mick Wallace suggested it could dig into Nama. ‘Not only does Nama have a tendency to play a bit footloose with criminal law, it seems to care little for the data protection law,’ Mr Wallace alleged.
Mr Varadkar replied that Nama ‘is coming to the end of its remit as a public body which was set up as a solution to the banking crisis. We now believe it will make a small profit for the State. At that point, it will have served its purpose and have ended its remit.’
‘Modernisation of the law’