Burke faces sentencing on tax offences

Former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke could face up to five years in jail and a maximum €127,000 fine when he is sentenced for tax offences tomorrow.returns

Judge Desmond Hogan of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court will sentence Burke on two counts relating to the lodgement of false tax returns. The former minister for justice and foreign affairs pleaded guilty to the charges last July.

Burke (60), Griffith Downs, Drumcondra, admitted knowingly or wilfully furnishing incorrect information during the tax amnesty of 1993 by failing to declare income of £151,980.

He also pleaded guilty to knowingly or wilfully furnishing incorrect information to the Inspector of Taxes on or after December 15th, 2003, by failing to declare income of £24,038.

The charges for these offences are provided for in the 1983 Finance Act and Section 9 of the 1993 Waiver of Certain Tax, Interest and Penalties Act.

However, separate charges under the 1993 tax amnesty legislation, which carried more serious financial penalties and a jail term of up to eight years, were dropped.

Burke is already facing legal bills of over €10 million, after the chairman of the planning tribunal, Judge Alan Mahon, refused his €10 million application for costs at the inquiry last September.

Separately, the former politician has made a €600,000 settlement with the Criminal Assets Bureau in respect of income it claims he received but did not declare to the Revenue Commissioners.

CAB has been investigating him since September 2002, shortly after the interim report of the Flood tribunal found he received total corrupt payments of almost €250,000. The acquisition of his former home in Swords was also found to be corrupt.

Burke last appeared before the tribunal in April, where he denied meeting developer Mr Tom Gilmartin along with other Cabinet ministers in Leinster House in 1989, as Mr Gilmartin has claimed.

At different times in his political career, Burke held a number of senior ministerial portfolios, including environment, energy, communications, commerce and industry, justice, and foreign affairs.

His last Cabinet position was in foreign affairs, to which he was appointed in 1997 by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. He was not a member of the cabinet at the time the tax amnesty was introduced in 1993, having been sacked by the then taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, the year before.