A Co Cork chef arrested as part of a Garda investigation into IRA money-laundering walked free on bail from the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday.
Mr Don Bullman (30), a chef and father of two, of Fernwood Crescent, Leghanamore, Wilton, Co Cork, was charged last Friday with membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on February 16th.
On Monday, the court granted Mr Bullman bail on his own bond of €500 and an independent surety of €30,000. He was ordered to report daily to Togher Garda station, to surrender his passport, and not to travel outside Co Cork.
The court also ordered him not to associate with anyone convicted of subversive crime or with four named individuals - Mr Conor McLaughlin, Mr Christopher McElhinney, Mr Tom Hanlon and Mr George Hegarty.
Yesterday, Mr Denis Butler, solicitor with the Chief Prosecution Service, said that the Garda had no objections to the proposed independent bailsperson, Mr Denis Dunlea.
Mr Dunlea told the court that he was an uncle of the accused man and that he lived at Liam Lynch Park, Glasheen Road, Cork. He said he understood the bail conditions set by the court and he undertook to ensure that Mr Bullman did not breach the conditions. He also undertook to ensure that Mr Bullman did not associate with the people named in the bail conditions.
On Monday, Det-Supt Diarmuid O'Sullivan, of the Special Detective Unit, objected to bail for Mr Bullman and said he believed Mr Bullman would interfere with evidence if granted bail.
He said that gardaí had found a bag containing a Daz box, which contained over €94,000, wrapped in three individual wrappings of €30,000 each, when Mr Bullman was arrested last week at Heuston Station in Dublin in a Northern-registered jeep.
The superintendent described Mr Bullman as a "central individual" to the activities of the IRA prior to February 16th. That activity was a "money-laundering operation for the IRA". He told the court: "I have an apprehension that he will continue to launder money for an unlawful organisation, the IRA."
Mr Bullman, in evidence, said: "I am not a member of any unlawful organisation and never was." He agreed to give any undertaking sought by the court.
Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan, presiding on Monday, said that while the Garda objections were well-founded, the court would be denying Mr Bullman's presumption of innocence if bail was refused.