DANIEL KINAHAN HAS released a statement claiming that he is a legitimate businessman who is not part of any criminal gang.
The suspected gangland leader issued a statement to TalkSport in the UK where he said he has tried to “ignore the allegations made about me”.
Last Monday, BBC Panorama broadcast a documentary about Kinahan, his involvement in the fight game and his links to gangland crime. The team of journalists behind the documentary received a credible threat to their lives following the broadcast.
The PSNI said on Friday it has warned of an “unspecified threat” against the journalists following the broadcast.
In his statement, Kinahan reiterates that he has no convictions and is now dedicating his life to planning “record-breaking and exciting world title fights”.
In a separate statement released before Monday’s Panorama documentary, Kinahan described himself, on three occasions, as a “legitimate businessman”.
However, in a High Court affidavit in Ireland in 2019, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) described how he managed and controlled the day-to-day operations of the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang. This was accepted by the court.
In his statement today, Kinahan said: “I have tried my best to ignore the allegations that are constantly made about me. I have dedicated myself to my work in boxing for over 15 years.
“I firmly believe that my success has led to an increase in the campaign against me. Pretty much anything can be said about me, or inferred about me, and it goes unchallenged and is sadly believed.”
In summer 2020, heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury posted a video on Twitter confirming that a fight between him and Anthony Joshua had been arranged and that Daniel Kinahan was the main man behind it.
That fight is expected to go ahead this year but an exact date has yet to be confirmed.
This sparked outrage and ultimately ended in another statement from MTK (the boxing promotion Kinahan co-founded) saying Daniel had taken a step back to focus on other interests.
‘Sensationalist’
Kinahan also addressed the issue of journalists being threatened following the programme which he described as “sensationalist” and “devoid of evidence or critical analysis”.
Last week it was inferred that I had threatened a reporter. Let me be clear on this point before I address the other allegations against me. I have full respect for journalism. I have worked with journalists and I value their role. Journalists should always be free to do their job, free from any threat or harassment. I have never threatened a reporter or journalist or asked anyone to do that for me. I never have and I never would.
Kinahan said the recent BBC Panorama programme “was a rehash of unsubstantiated allegations that have been made previously on many occasions”.
He also attacked the Irish court system and for accepting the sworn affidavits that he was part of a criminal gang.
“That Irish Court is the Special Criminal Court, a court with no jury, and which accepts the word of police officers without question. It is criticised by both the UN and Amnesty International. This latest report follows a long pattern of throwing innuendo and baseless accusations at me hoping that some may stick.”
I can’t be any clearer on the fundamental slur – I am not a part of a criminal gang or any conspiracy. I have no convictions. None. Not just in Ireland but anywhere in the world.
The Special Criminal Court was set up to protect potential jurors from intimidation from serious criminal elements.
Daniel Kinahan has been named in court proceedings in Ireland, the UK and Spain. He is also barred from entering the United States due to his alleged involvement in “narco-terrorism”.
Kinahan’s statement adds that he is being subjected to trial by media and that all the allegations are baseless.
Today’s utterance is the latest publicity stunt by Kinahan who has been attempting to remould his reputation as a so-called “legitimate businessman” since the Fury/Joshua fight was announced.
Last week, the assistant commissioner for organised and serious crime, John O’Driscoll, hit out at what he called “fake news” disseminated by members of the Kinahan cartel
These have included high budget re-enactments of the Regency shooting, which wrongly claim it was part of a conspiracy on behalf of the gardaí and the Irish government.
He said: “It goes beyond this jurisdiction because I have seen, for example, bogus documents purporting to emanate from international law enforcement agencies.
“They have been circulated in what purports to be a book about organised crime.”
Kinahan’s statement concludes: “I have chosen to dedicate my life to my family and my work. I do so every day in good and honest faith. I will continue to always choose love and choose God in my future as I do in my present.”
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