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Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Allegations of Shell booze bribes for gardaí 'raise serious concerns'

A company that worked for shell until 2010 claims it delivered a large amount of alcohol to gardaí in Belmullet in December 2007.

REPRESENTATIVES OF SHELL to Sea have called for an independent inquiry into allegations by a company that it distributed alcohol to gardaí while working on behalf of Shell in Co Mayo.

In an article in The Observer yesterday, Glasgow based company OSSL, which procured materials and services for Shell, claimed it was tasked with providing “a tennis court, cookers, television sets, agricultural equipment, school fees, home improvements, garden centre visits, forestry equipment” for local residents on behalf of Shell, to keep them on side.

The company also alleged it delivered €35,000 worth of alcohol, which came from Northern Ireland, to Belmullet Garda Station in December 2007.

Superintendent John Gillian is quoted by one of the managers of the company as saying “it’s lucky these walls are high”, as the consignment of alcohol was unloaded from an unmarked van.

Commenting on the accusations, Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington said that as well as the issue of “alcohol-fueled police violence”, this raises “serious concerns” for the auditors of Shell E&P Ireland.

“It seems that Shell are intent to pay absolutely no tax in the State whatsoever, as even this alcohol was smuggled across the border,” Harrington said.

Shell to Sea are now calling for a “fully independent international inquiry” into the allegations.

In a statement, gardaí said that allegations were made to the district officer at Belmullet in 2011, that alcohol was distribute to officers on behalf of Shell but inquiries found “no evidence” of this.

Read: Mayo farmer to face criminal damage charge over Shell protest>

Read: Campaigner against Corrib gas pipeline ‘on hunger strike’ in prison>

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    May 13th 2018, 7:20 AM

    It probably cost a trillion dollars to develop, could have bought one on amazon for $9.99 made in China

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    Mute Conor Mac Manus
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    May 13th 2018, 9:50 AM

    @Martin Sinnott: But it wouldn’t be delivered in time

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    May 14th 2018, 1:01 AM

    What’s the postcode for Mars? Can’t deliver without one!

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    Mute Graham
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    May 13th 2018, 8:35 AM

    “Human built rovers”??? As opposed to the Martian

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    Mute Graham
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    May 13th 2018, 8:35 AM

    @Graham: built ones

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    Mute Todd Unctuous
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    May 13th 2018, 7:09 AM

    They’re Contra rotating blades as opposed to counter!!

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    Mute Marie Berrill
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    May 13th 2018, 9:03 AM

    Hope everyone reading this knows what a “sliotar” is and it’s size !

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    Mute Karl O Neill
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    May 13th 2018, 9:12 AM

    @Marie Berrill: Most people do. If not google! :-)

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    Mute Michael Hunt
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    May 13th 2018, 1:19 PM

    It’s hard to believe the American tax payers still buys into this NASA con artist scam and continue to allow themselves to be robbed to the tune of 31.5 million dollars per day or this unadulterated garbage.
    “Engineers built the copter’s twin, counter-rotating blades to “bite into the thin Martian atmosphere at almost 3,000 rpm – about 10 times the rate of a helicopter on Earth,” said a NASA statement”.
    Perhaps NASA “engineers” should have when to Dyson. Dyson engineers developed a DC frequency driven motor capable of speeds of 110,000 rpm! If only Dyson did Photoshop and had a film crew in Devon Canada, where the fake mars footage was shot, they could blow NASA out to space, excuse the pun!

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    Mute Philip Mckenna
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    May 13th 2018, 6:48 PM

    The pilot must b tiny?

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    May 14th 2018, 6:57 PM

    The singularity is here. The population of Mars is entirely made up of robots (14 of them), whilst us mere humans are unable to make the journey. All hail our robot overlords.

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