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Sean Garland, 76, is wanted by the United States in connection with the alleged distribution of counterfeit $100 'superbills'. Julien Behal/PA Archive

DPP to examine whether Garland should be prosecuted in Ireland

Former Workers’ Party president Seán Garland may be prosecuted in Ireland, despite not being extradited to the United States.

THE HIGH COURT has asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider whether the former president of the Workers’ Party, Sean Garland, may be prosecuted in Ireland for his role in the alleged distribution of counterfeit US dollars.

The court ruled two weeks ago that Garland, 76, could not be extradited over charges that he assisted in the distribution of counterfeit $100 ‘Superbills’, printed in North Korea.

Publishing its ruling this morning, however, Justice John Edwards said he was referring the case to the DPP, in order to ascertain whether Garland should face charges in Ireland over the alleged counterfeiting.

This was because the offences for which Garland was wanted by the United States had technically been committed in this jurisdiction.

The court ruled, however, that Section 15 of the Extradition Act of 1965 – which says extradition cannot be granted when the alleged offence had taken place in this State – prohibited Garland from being extradited.

Documents submitted by the United States to the court showed that in seeking to obtain and distribute the counterfeit notes, Garland had travelled to and from Ireland with those notes in his possession.

The counterfeit notes are alleged to have originated in North Korea, which supplies the notes to diplomats who then sell them to others at a discount in exchange for legitimate US currency.

Garland, with an address in Navan, Co Meath, had been a key figure in the Official IRA after it split with the Provisional IRA in the late 1960s.

He had been arrested in 2005 on foot of an extradition warrant issued by US authorities, while attending the Workers’ Party Árdfheis in Belfast. He was released on bail and travelled to the Republic, where he was again arrested in 2009.

Read: High Court rejects application to extradite former IRA veteran

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8 Comments
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    Mute john g mcgrath
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    Jan 27th 2012, 2:32 PM

    The workers party now part of the labour party if i am correct.Was not Eamonn gilmore Pat Rabbitte Frank Ross aka P De Rossa all part of the workers party?Did Frank Ross not go to North Korea?
    Hmmm interesting conversion of political beliefs from left wing republican to right wing toryesque.
    I wonder did that face lift cost a lot of dollars sorry euro

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    Mute Mark O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2012, 5:11 PM

    Let it go already, to many this man is a patriot as well as working hard for the rights of Irish workers throughout the years. Many of our current politicians could learn a lot about what it means to have backbone from Garland. Instead we are governed by folk who pander to European bureaucrats and big business instead of the needs of the average citizen

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    Mute Rocky Dennis
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    Jan 27th 2012, 6:24 PM

    He is a terrorist

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    Mute Michael Cuthbert
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    Jan 28th 2012, 1:02 AM

    Yeh. If they could just learn how to print Euros as good as his dollars, we’d be laughing all the way to the bank…

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    Mute Pedalling Pensioners
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    Jan 27th 2012, 5:10 PM

    The Worker’s Party is still alive and well and never converted to “Smoked Salmon Socialism” and never became traitors to the Working Class like Rabbitte and Gilmore. Get your facts correct man, before you spread more right-wing propaganda!

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    Mute john g mcgrath
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    Jan 27th 2012, 5:22 PM

    Sorry thank you for clarification I was being factious in relation to Gilmore et al …..

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    Mute mcbab
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    Jan 27th 2012, 10:50 PM

    Rocky has that right !

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    Mute S...G
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    Jan 28th 2012, 12:45 AM

    This extremist should be prosecuted, sooner rather than later

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