Sixteen people have been remanded on bail after they appeared in court charged in relation to alleged insurance compensation fraud following a series of car crashes in Cork.
The ten men and six women appeared before Cork District Court this morning.
Tommy Maher (51) of Scarteen, Newmarket was charged with three counts of deception and three counts of making a false report while Rory Keating (60) of Killinane, Liscarroll, Mallow was charged with two counts of deception and two counts of making a false report.
Patrick Browne (52) and Eileen Browne (49) of Ballybeg West, Buttevant, Rory Hannaway (29) of Bonnog, Midleton and Mackiej Lukianiuk (29) of the Cotswolds, Midleton were all charged with a single count of deception and a single count of making a false report.
John Murphy (55) and Selena Sexton (39), both of Blackwater Heights, Youghal, Dawn Philpott (34) of Main Street, Ballynoe and Jenny Moloney (39) of Ardrath Crescent, Youghal were also each charged with one count of deception and one count of making a false report.
Damien O'Driscoll (22) of Connolly Avenue, Mallow, Elizabeth O'Driscoll (32) of Woodview Drive, Mallow and Dana Duggan (34) of College Gardens, College Manor, Cobh were also each charged with one count of deception and one count of making a false report.
Tomas Hayes (29) with addresses at James Street, Cork and Cashel, Co Tipperary, Matthew Kamara (38) with addresses at Military Hill, Cork and The Kilns, Midleton and Peter Fitzpatrick of Glencullen, Fermoy were also each charged with deception and making a false report.
The court heard that all the charges arise from three separate car crashes at Monastery Hill, Rochestown near Cork city on December 6th 2011, Carrigane, Mitchelstown on August 28th 2012 and Clyda Bridge, Mallow on September 26th 2012.
The state alleges that all three crashes, which each involved two vehicle collisions, were staged to enable the accused to make fraudulent claims for compensation arising from the crashes against a number of insurance companies.
The state alleges that compensation payments totalling over €€58,000 were paid out to some seven of those charged with the sums of compensation ranging from just under €€4,000 in one case to over €€12,000 in another case.
Judge Malone remanded Mr Maher, Mr Keating, Mr Hannaway and Mr Murphy on bail to appear again on April 15th, he remanded Mr Fitzpatrick on bail to appear on April 8th and he remanded the remaining eleven accused on bail to appear again on April 1st.
The charges follow an extensive garda investigation code-named Operation Nascar after the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing in the United States and carried out by the by the Garda Organised Crime Unit and Fraud Investigation Unit at Anglesea Street in Cork.
