irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Thursday, September 9, 2010, 17:39

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0909/breaking56.html

A man has been charged with money laundering in connection with last week’s €300,000 tiger kidnapping in Dublin.

During the raid, a bank official's wife was abducted and the cash was stolen from an AIB branch in Clondalkin.

Raymond Rea (29), from Ryebridge Close, Kilcock, Co Kildare, was brought before the Dublin District Court this afternoon.

He is charged with handling, acquiring or possessing €30,000, the proceeds of criminal conduct, on September 4th at his home.

Mr Rea is the first person in the State to be charged under the Criminal Justice Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010, which was passed into law in May.

Conviction on indictment, which the DPP has directed in this case, can result in a sentence of up to 14 years.

Detective Sergeant Joseph Molloy told Judge William Hamill that the accused, who was dressed in navy jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, replied “nothing to say” after the charge was put to him at Terenure Garda station this afternoon.

The defendant spoke briefly when a legal aid application was made on his behalf by defence solicitor Padraig O’Donovan.

Asked by the judge if he had a job, Mr Rea replied: “I was employed at the time, I am not too sure if I’m still employed.”

Det Sgt Molloy objected to bail citing the seriousness of the alleged offence and said the amount of money recovered was a “small percentage of a large sum of money taken in a criminal enterprise.”

He also said transport and a firearm used was still outstanding and the investigation is still live.”

He agreed with Mr Donovan that he would consent to conditional bail with an independent surety of €10,000, subject to the accused surrendering his passport and not having contact three individuals allegedly connected to the incident.

Judge Hamill imposed the conditions and remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail.

Mr Rea, who was ordered to sign on daily at his local Garda station when he is bailed and observe a curfew, will appear again at Cloverhill District Court on September 16th.