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Hollister advertisement in Dundrum, Dublin. Niall Carson/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Hollister

The Ombudsman's credit card was stolen and used to buy designer clothes

The money was refunded to Emily O’Reilly’s office after the fraud was discovered in September 2012.
6.40am, 22 Oct 2013
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THE CREDIT CARD attached to the Office of the Ombudsman was fraudulently used by a third party last year to the tune of €571.33.

An online shopping spree saw charges accumulate from teen clothing company Hollister.com, designer label retailer Ssense.com and popular brand TommyHilfiger.com.

Transactions were also made through Lycamobile which allows customers to make low-cost international calls.

According to documents released to TheJournal.ie following a Freedom of Information request, the office was notified of the misuse by the credit card company in September 2012. The total amount of €571.33 was fully reimbursed.

The expense documents from Emily O’Reilly’s office for 2013 show an expenses bill of €3,562, which included dining, entertainment and travel costs.

Read: Peter Tyndall to replace Emily O’Reilly as Ombudsman

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    The Journal supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie