Appeal for man's release in extradition case rejected

The extradition to England of a Dublin man alleged to have advertised Irish passports for sale in the names of children who had…

The extradition to England of a Dublin man alleged to have advertised Irish passports for sale in the names of children who had died in infancy is to be the subject of a High Court hearing on September 5th.

Mr Justice Michael Peart has ruled that warrants issued by British police for the the extradition of Michael Fallon, otherwise Mícheál Ó Fallúin, with an address at Carysfort Hall, Blackrock, Co Dublin, were valid and he rejected an application for his release, sought under article 40 of the Constitution.

Mr Fallon is to face a charge of conspiracy to defraud the UK Passport Agency by the provision of false passport applications.

Kieran Kelly, counsel for Fallon, sought the adjournment on the grounds that the defence was seeking an affidavit from Britain in respect of its existing extradition legislation.

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Mr Fallon's release had been sought on the grounds that the warrants were "void and unlawful" as a result of a recent decision by the Supreme Court here. However he was remanded in custody until September 5th.

At an earlier hearing, the High Court was told in a warrant issued by a Bow Street magistrate in London that British police believed Mr Fallon and alleged co-conspirators advertised passports for sale in the International Herald Tribune.

British police claimed that once a customer made contact, they were offered a choice of suitable names and dates of birth from a list.

On provision of a passport photograph and signed blank passport application form, these were accompanied by a duplicate birth certificate of a child who had died in infancy and who never had a passport.

British police claimed in the warrant that the scam had been exposed by the Granada television investigative journalism show Tonight with Trevor McDonald.