KBC arson attack ‘may be linked’ to Roscommon row
GARDAÍ are investigating whether dissident criminals were behind an arson attack at the KBC bank building in Dublin city centre late on Thursday night.
Investigating detectives ‘strongly believe’ that the criminal damage was linked to the Belgian-owned bank at the centre of controversy over the recent eviction of a farming family in Co. Roscommon.
The incident occurred at around 11.25pm at the premises on Sandwith Street. The Irish Daily Mail understands six people were working in the bank when the gang attacked, but that no one was injured or saw the attack.
Sources say that after KBC’s windows were smashed, an accelerant was thrown in which led to the ‘blinds in the bank catching fire’.
A senior source said it was ‘lucky’ the fire didn’t take or ‘lives could have been lost’.
Dublin Fire Brigade extinguished the fire in the lobby of the building. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses. Last Monday, a dissident Republican linked to a political wing of the IRA had his west Dublin home raided as part of a major probe into a pre-dawn attack at a repossessed home in Co. Roscommon.
The criminal, with convictions for domestic violence, public order and other offences, is a member of a splinter IRA group, sources say.
The man in his 40s had his Dublin home raided by specialist officers from the armed Special Detective Unit last Monday night.
He was not arrested but his phone and some documents were seized in the raid.
Investigators believe this man ‘infiltrated’ local criminal elements in Roscommon and planned the shocking attack that took place in the early hours of Sunday, December 16.
Separately, independent TDs Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins and Carol Nolan attended a sit-in protest at the KBC branch on Dublin’s Baggot Street earlier this week.
KBC representatives have agreed to meet the three independent TDs in January.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Facebook said posts detailing threats to KBC’s owner had been removed after being highlighted by the Irish Daily Mail, despite initially telling the paper they had ‘reviewed’ the page and found it ‘not to be in violation’ of their policies.
They added that they did not find the page that hosted the comments to be in violation of their ‘Community Standards’, merely that certain posts were. They said Facebook is a place for ‘lively and critical debate’.