Anti-corruption campaigner John Wolfe.
You can mock him, or try to block him.
But you cannot stop him.
It’s been three years since [John] Wolfe began his quest to look into the travel expenses of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
First, through a Freedom of Information request, Wolfe learnt that Ahern was claiming €1,000 in travel expenses each month for commuting to the Dáil after stepping down as Taoiseach. But as the former Taoiseach, he also benefited from the use of a state car whenever he wanted.
In effect, Wolfe believes claiming these expenses while also using a state car funded by the taxpayer amounted to fraud. He passed this information to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, the Garda Commissioner and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) back in 2013.
In court, he said that under Section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011, he had an obligation to do so. But a year later, DPP Claire Loftus said she would not be prosecuting Ahern as there was no evidence he had done anything wrong.
At the time, Ahern told the Sunday Independent that his expense claims were all legal and above board.
You might have expected Wolfe to stop then.
Instead, he tried to find out if these bodies had investigated his complaint, but struggled to get any information. Through correspondence with the fraud squad, he discovered the incident hadn’t even been recorded on the Gardaí’s Pulse system.
Frustrated, he felt his complaint wasn’t being taken seriously, so he applied for a judicial review, citing the fraud squad, the DPP and the Garda Commissioner.
When the High Court heard the case last December, it decided against granting this, because the judge said it was too late to make the application.
On Monday, he appealed this decision….[more at link below]
John Wolfe Is On A Mission To Tackle TDs’ Expenses (Louisa McGrath, Dublin Inquirer)
Previously: More Privacy
Dublin Inquirer on Broadsheet.ie
Pic: Louisa McGrath for Dublin Inquirer
Hero.
Give it a rest old man. Much ado about nothing.
Wrong. He is pushing for accountability and is entitled to get answers.
the acceptance of low standards in high office – welcome to ireland.
The problem lies with the rules but it’s such a minor issue to get worked up about.
The problem is people like you
Take take take unless its nailed down
The real problem is that the rules are so fuzzily set that there is likely no point charging him with anything.
There is no reason the ruels have to be set thus. I’d like to see SF, SocDems etc. screaming about unvouched expenses, early pensions & so on.
This guy reads like Ken M
nice troll
Translation – Corruption is ok, so long as you don’t get caught.
Not that I disagree with the viewpoint of John Wolfe, but aren’t TDs expenses related to mileage rather than costs incurred? This issue came up previously in relation to Jackie Healy-Rae claiming for thousands of travel expenses, even though he came up on the train for free with his OAP free travel pass.
He was a s****** though.
Indeed he was, but he was also crafty; I imagine that most of his dealings, shifty as they were, were within the limits of the law.
Reform should start with the law, not with the Dail. I propose “Shut up, Wolfe” law to be framed and passed, while the other abolished entirely. One judge, no barristers and no law library. It’s a bliss!
This is the problem. We need a proper justice system in this country. Corrupt from the top down. Oh please bring back the Troika.
Couldn’t agree more. People should stop to reflect on just how utterly useless and unfit for purpose the legal system is in this country.
+1
Pity Shatter didn’t get law reform done before he resigned.
‘Oh please bring back the Troika.’
This is the sort of sh!t which makes me despair sometimes.
This attitude is the biggest part of the problem.
We rule ourselves now. We will have struggles etc.but if lots of us go on with your guff, we can expect nothing good.
Go man! Keep pressing. The less room these greedy fuppers have to move the better.
The sooner an example is made the better.
+1
so frustrating. can only imagine how much so for Mr.Wolfe. I detest Aherne with everything i have. Even after everything he’s done, he’s STILL ripping us off. I wish his a gruesome death.
What a dude. Using his powers for good not evil. We need more John Wolfes
Know was just thinking, not something often done in irish politixcs, but however, just thinking, should we all head down to the Dail to protest.
But on second thoughts, should not contact the, Bundestag, the German parliament, in that it be Herr, Merkel who be running, the ship of fools anyway.
She is steering it, towards the rocks, nearly there.
Since Dail Reform is the buzz word, why not establish a Citizens Initative Fund
to back concerned citizens and afford them the right to instigate legal cases
which are of major public concern…..it would soon stop the fiddling.
Dail reform poo !
We have current politicians who have passed legislation benefiting preferable tax arrangements for example the family trusts of the Dunne and Rohan families. Where is the reform ? ……..there is none.