Designer fashion, wine and ‘gifts for the board’ – the life of ABI Ireland’s CEO
CEO of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland Barbara O’Connell spent €2,328 using the charity’s credit card in a single day during a trip to New York.
According to financial records at the charity, on October 19, 2009, the card was used for the following transactions:
€731.64 at New York department store Macy’s East
€38.91 at Macy’s East in addition to the above €447.48 at a New York Apple Store €695.76 at Chico’s – a women’s designer fashion store.
€134.65 at luxury designer retailer Nordstrom €71.20 at Compass Bank €208.53 at the fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch
Another item of personal expenditure by Barbara O’Connell detailed in ABI Ireland’s financial records was a €222.80 Ticketmaster purchase on October 24, 2008.
The charity’s credit card was also used to buy gifts worth thousands of euro – including vouchers, wine and a painting for Mrs O’Connell’s husband.
The purchases were made in the name of Barbara O’Connell and her personal assistant, Siobhán Campbell.
DECEMBER 15, 2011 The Visa card of Mrs Campbell was used to purchase ‘An Post gift vouchers for Boards and Ambassadors’ worth €2,150. Ms Campbell was the then office manager and PA to the CEO.
DECEMBER 19, 2011 The company Visa card of Mrs O’Connell was used in O’Briens off-licence to purchase ‘Wine for Board XMAS’ worth €318.86. FEBRUARY 2011 The company Visa card of Mrs O’Connell was used to buy a €900 ‘gift for outgoing chair’ in the Waldock Gallery in Blackrock, Dublin. The outgoing chairman at the time was her husband, Maurice O’Connell.
DECEMBER 6, 2010 €2,400 was spent on the company credit card of Siobhán Campbell for ‘An Post Vouchers gift’. Further gift vouchers worth €304.50 were bought on December 14. On the same day, €171.87 – labelled ‘gift for board’ – was spent in the O’Briens off-licence DECEMBER 7, 2009 Siobhán Campbell’s card was used to purchase ‘gift vouchers for the board’ worth €705. DECEMBER 4, 2009 ‘Gifts for the board’ were purchased to the value of €246.52 with the company credit card of Siobhán Campbell in Dunnes Stores. DECEMBER 4, 2008 A sum of €339.57 was spent on the company credit card of Barbara O’Connell in O’Brien’s off-licence. DECEMBER 2008 ‘Gift vouchers for board members’ worth €1,308.49 were paid for with the company credit card of Siobhán Campbell. NOVEMBER 2, 2007 €675 was spent on ‘Xmas party board members’ at a price of €75 each for nine individuals.