A Roscommon man, whose extradition to serve a four-year jail sentence is being sought by the English authorities, was granted €120,000 bail in the High Court yesterday.
Alan Toal, counsel for Thomas Joseph O'Connor, of The Walk, Roscommon, told Mr Justice George Birmingham that O'Connor's brother, Gerard, was in court with a banker's draft of €40,000. Mr Toal said businessman Gerard was prepared to stand as surety for another €80,000 for his brother.
Thomas Joseph O'Connor was sentenced in his absence at Blackfriars Court, London, to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment in connection with a multi-million-pound fraud associated with the building industry in London.
The High Court, which sat specially on Thursday night following O'Connor's arrest in Roscommon that day, heard O'Connor had been granted £30,000 (€44,000) bail in England but had absconded to Ireland before his trial.
Gerard O'Connor told Judge Birmingham yesterday that he owned two companies, a plant hire company and a recycling company. He handed in a bank statement in relation to one of his companies which showed that he was in a position to meet any future demand regarding the bail.
Judge Birmingham accepted Gerard O'Connor's undertaking that the balance would not be reduced below €80,000 pending his brother's trial.
Mr Toal said his client's passport was given to the Garda.