A GARDA investigation into the alleged misappropriation of some €1.7 million from a post office in Co Wexford is to be extended to include an examination of a post office in Carlow where the chief suspect worked for many years.
Gardaí are trying to determine whether the money that is now unaccounted for in Gorey was gambled online and in betting shops by the An Post employee at the centre of the case.
The Irish Timesunderstands the same man worked in Carlow Post Office for a number of years before being transferred to Gorey last year.
An audit by An Post in Gorey first alerted the company to the missing money last week. The financial records in Carlow are now being checked to determine whether there are irregularities there predating his transfer.
Both An Post and the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation are carrying out their own separate inquiries into practices at both post offices.
One informed source said there are now fears the man at the centre of the case, 36-year-old father of one Tony O’Reilly, may have had a gambling problem for a number of years.
There are concerns this may also have led him into serious financial difficulties when he was still working in Carlow, where he had access to large sums of cash.
“The investigations are examining Carlow; it would have to be expanded beyond looking at Gorey only,” said one source.
Mr O’Reilly, who is from Kilkenny but has been living in Carlow town, is the post master in Gorey.
He left his home for work last Wednesday morning and soon afterwards went missing.
His wife received a text from Mr O’Reilly’s phone saying he had been in a car accident on his way to work.
His family were then unable to contact him and reported him as a missing person. However, it became apparent towards the end of last week that his disappearance could be linked to the missing money in Gorey.
On Saturday night, Mr O’Reilly contacted his family, via e-mail, from Belfast to assure them he was well. He then agreed to travel back to Carlow, where he was reunited with his family on Sunday. He has been undergoing medical treatment in the southeast since then.
Garda sources said while the investigation team wanted to interview Mr O’Reilly, this would only take place when he was deemed well enough. “Before then we’ll carry out our investigations and gather the facts and then those facts will need to be put to him,” said a source.
The Garda investigation began when An Post’s audit of Gorey Post Office identified a possible shortfall of about €1.7 million, and a formal statement of complaint was made to the Garda.
A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment when asked about the Garda investigation being extended to include Carlow Post Office.