Former Fine Gael town councillor Fred Forsey has been sentenced to six years for corruptly receiving payments from a property developer.
Despite his convictions at Waterford Circuit Court last month, the 43-year-old from Coolagh Road, Dungarvan has insisted in court that the €80,000 he received in 2006 was a loan.
Mr Forsey was convicted last month on six counts of receiving corrupt payments from a property developer for lobbying in favour of the proposed rezoning of land near Dungarvan.
The former politician still insists the money was a loan and when asked today if he should not accept the jury verdict he replied: “No, with the greatest respect to the court”.
He was pictured arriving at the Criminal Courts of Justice earlier today.
His sentencing was adjourned after the mother-in-law of the defence senior counsel passed away.
He was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court in May and his trial heard how, to this day, he has not paid a cent back of the €80,000 he received from the developer.
His ex-wife Jenny Forsey (42) gave evidence for the prosecution and his girlfriend Karen Morrissey (26) was by his side for the entire trial.
He sobbed when the jury reached a guilty verdict.
The trial heard rezoning of the land to industrial/residential meant its value stood to increase up to ten-fold.
Government TD John Deasy (FG) earlier gave evidence that it was his view that the aim was to “inflate” the price of land — and not to create jobs for Dungarvan.
The jury of eight men and four women disagreed with Forsey’s claims that the monies were lent to him by a developer — and found they were corruptly received. Their verdict was unanimous and came after two-and-a-half hours of deliberation.
Judge Gerard Griffin noted that these corrupt payments were received at the height of the Celtic Tiger and said he had no doubt if the proposed development had gone ahead, it would now be another ghost estate.
He quoted the Mahon Tribunal, describing political corruption as a “deeply corrosive force”, and imposed a six-year sentence with two years suspended.
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