Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Row over Caird Hall fight night
OFFICIALS at Leisure and Culture Dundee are under pressure to explain why an organisation linked to an Irish gangster staged a boxing event at the Caird Hall.
Officials at the independent charity said they are “looking into” allegations that Probellum – the firm which co-promoted a bill on April 30 – has ties to the Kinahan crime family.
But a North East MSP said the organisation, which runs services including sport and culture in the city, must immediately explain why the event was allowed to go ahead and give details about how its investigation will take shape.
Members of the Dubai-based Irish family are wanted over crimes including murder, firearms and drug trafficking.
US officials announced sanctions against the group last month and said 44-year-old Daniel Kinahan “is believed to run the day-to-day operations of the organisation”.
A reward of $5 million has been offered for information leading to the arrest of Kinahan, his brother Christopher, 41, and their father Christopher Sr, 65.
A spokesman for Probellum told The Tele any suggestion of a connection between the business and the crime family is “categorically untrue”.
North East Scottish Conservative MSP Tess White said: “I find it disappointing that Dundee City Council’s leisure trust failed to do due diligence over this event. It’s time to shed some light on these links. They need to explain how this was allowed to happen and what they’re going to do now these links have been uncovered.”
Leisure and Culture Dundee was asked what has been done since the allegations first emerged and what the next steps are for its investigation.
The organisation refused to answer those questions.
It instead pointed to its previous statement, which read: “We are looking into these allegations.”
Daniel Kinahan is a wellknown figure in the boxing world who has acted as an advisor to Tyson Fury and Josh Taylor. The announcement of the US sanctions led to the closure of MTK Global, a boxing management agency co-founded by him.
The trademark for Probellum was registered in 2019 by MTK
Global. Probellum, which has tried to distance itself from Daniel Kinahan in recent weeks, has in the past promoted several fighters advised by the cartel leader.
Probellum said the business and all employees take the sanctions imposed by US officials “extremely seriously” and will be fully compliant with all rules, regulations and requirements.
The co-promoter for the Caird Hall night was Kynoch Boxing Promotions, founded by former MTK Global group managing director Sam Kynoch.
There is no suggestion any of the fighters or co-promoters involved in the Dundee event are involved in crime.