Jackson Way

mr_anderson · January 19, 2009, 2:17pm

Remember the Jackson Way debacle ?

Were the real owners ever identified ?
I had heard various rumours about the main beneficiaries - very political … but not to the party you most expect !

ewd3 · January 19, 2009, 4:11pm

I heard one of the main parties is deceased.

I also heard FF are trying to tar everyone.

fishfoodie · January 19, 2009, 6:31pm

I ain’t a Mod but I would advise folks to be exxxxxtremely careful about speculating about this.

This is a place marked, “Here be Dragons”, on the map

provost · January 19, 2009, 6:53pm

indeed,

as a guideline, don’t post unsubstaniated rumours on this thread

Open_Window · January 19, 2009, 7:01pm

No names mentioned.

What_Goes_Up · January 19, 2009, 7:27pm

catbear · January 19, 2009, 7:36pm

well folks, if we were to follow the money where do we start. as this was a property bubble, should we start with the property and work back? i like jigsaws, but they do require patience. but once they’re finished everyone recognises the big picture. shell companies can still exist off the books.
https://www.firstmovedesign.co.uk/House_jigsaw.jpg

mr_anderson · January 19, 2009, 7:40pm

To be honest, I never would.
Sometimes when I havent heard of any news in a while, I wonder if I missed something.
It appears, in this case, I havent.

Ok. Nothing to see here, please move on.

2Pack · January 19, 2009, 8:46pm

Jim Kennedy the slum slot machine arcade owner remained throughout in the Isle of Man and refused to assist the tribunals in any way or to travel to Ireland . The tribunals intended to ask him a lot of questions on Jackson Way .

The beneficial owners are specifically unknown , the CAB has sequestered the land and the monies due for the motorway .

As Kennedy was not showing up in Ireland ( nor has he since) the Business Post had this to say on the subject in 2002 . I feel that nothing substantive has changed since since .

archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/200 … 947528.asp

**The site, in Carrickmines, south Dublin, was bought by Laois-born property dealer Jim Kennedy for €685,000 in 1988. It is now worth more than 100 times that figure. The rezoning of the land following a vote by Dublin county councillors greatly enhanced its value.
**
Last January Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council claimed in court that the rezoning had led to an “unjust enrichment”. The basis of the council’s claim was information supplied to the Flood Tribunal.

The tribunal heard that rezoning was secured with cash paid to Dublin county councillors by Jackson Way, or by the company under its previous guise, Paisley Park Investments Ltd.

This was denied by Jackson Way, and the Supreme Court has since found that the company must be assumed to be innocent until the tribunal completes its investigations. This process is expected to take at least two years.

Jackson Way had refused to identify who was behind the company, until last Monday, when English businessman Alan Holland dramatically announced that he was the sole shareholder.

**Gardai believe that Jim Kennedy, now living in exile, is the real owner. **

These people will never come forward now !

Sidewinder · January 19, 2009, 8:57pm

If CAB cannot establish a clear owner and the paper trail is deliberately opaque with loads of phantom shell companies, then should it simply not be seized by the State? There’s bound to be some sort of “strong suspicion of illegality” law they could dust off.

Seize it and then let the owners come forward to prove their (legal, non-corrupt) ownership

yoganmahew · January 19, 2009, 9:17pm

I believe that is what they have done, but following due process to do this takes a while!

Green_Bear · January 19, 2009, 9:57pm

Jackson Way fails to fast track case
Monday, 17 November 2008
rte.ie/news/2008/1117/jacksonway.html

Jackson Way Properties Ltd has failed to fast track its legal action aimed at enforcing a €12.8m award to it by an arbitrator against Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council over the acquisition of lands at Carrickmines for the M50 motorway.
The lands involved are at the centre of a rezoning controversy and are the subject of a freezing order granted to the Criminal Assets Bureau pending the outcome of separate proceedings in which CAB is seeking €53m from JWP over alleged ‘corrupt enrichment’ as a result of the land sale.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly refused an application by George Brady SC for JWP to have its case against the Council admitted to the Commercial Court, which fast-tracks big business cases.

In separate proceedings yet to be heard in the High Court the CAB is seeking some €53m from JWP over its alleged ‘corrupt enrichment’ from the sale of the lands at Carrickmines.

fishfoodie · January 19, 2009, 10:09pm

Of course occasionally the state can do something right:

independent.ie/business/irish/kennedy-family-fail-to-secure-permission-for-apartments-1456261.html

Green_Bear · January 19, 2009, 10:47pm

Land at Carrickmines in south Dublin which remains frozen by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is generating money for its owners, even though the company is the subject of planning corruption allegations.
Owned by Jackson Way Properties, a British registered firm, the 106 acres is being used to grow cereal crops, despite the fact that a High Court order to freeze it was secured by CAB in 2006. The bureau believes the value of 17 acres of the land increased from €7.9m to €61m when it was rezoned in the 1990s.
It is being tilled by contractors hired by James Kennedy, a former amusement arcade owner and businessman, who has been investigated by the planning tribunal and CAB. Kennedy is overseeing the farming enterprise from his home on the Isle of Man.

The change in the land’s usage may be linked to a recent application by the company to have it rezoned. In August, Jackson Way Properties applied to have the land’s usage changed in the review of the Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown county development plan.
The submission was lodged by Kiaran O’Malley and Co, a planning consultant, on behalf of the company. It has asked that the land be rezoned for economic development and employment use, which would allow housing.
“The decision to actively farm the land may be an attempt by Kennedy to show he is using it, that it is not just a landbank that he is holding,” said a planning source.
Kennedy was appointed a director of Jackson Way Properties last February. The other director is Alan Holland, a British property agent, who previously described himself as the sole shareholder and director of the company.
Jackson Way Properties first surfaced at the planning tribunal over allegations that it hired Frank Dunlop, the political lobbyist, to pay county councillors for their votes to rezone part of the land.

Jackson Way puts frozen asset to work
John Mooney
timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w … 692666.ece

Green_Bear · January 19, 2009, 10:50pm

**Frank Dunlop: the charges he faces **
Saturday, 22 November 2008
buckplanning.blogspot.com/2008/1 … faces.html

That on June 11th, 1992, at his office, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Seán Gilbride of Fianna Fáil as an inducement to secure his vote in favour of a motion before Dublin City Council to rezone 108 acres of land for industrial use at Carrickmines, in the county development plan.

That between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, at Conway’s pub on Parnell Street, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Jack Larkin of Fianna Fáil (now deceased) to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.

That on a date between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, in Dublin, he corruptly gave £1,000 to councillor Cyril Gallagher of Fianna Fáil (now deceased) to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.

That on May 4th, 1992, in the reception area of Dublin City Council, he corruptly gave £3,000 to councillor Tom Hand of Fine Gael (now deceased) to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.

That on May 4th, 1992, at St John of God’s in Dublin, he corruptly gave £3,000 to councillor Don Lydon of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.

That on a date unknown, between Dublin City Council’s office and Conway’s pub, he corruptly gave £2,000 to councillor Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.

That on a date unknown between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, he corruptly gave £2,000 to Fianna Fáil councillor Colm McGrath at Mr McGrath’s office in Clondalkin, in order to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres at Carrickmines.

That on a date unknown between June 12th, 1992, and June 29th, 1992, in Dublin, he corruptly gave £2,000 to councillor Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote to rezone 108 acres of land at Carrickmines.

That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to councillor Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to vote in favour of a motion that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council rezone about 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines for industrial use in the county development plan.

That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone about 88 acres of land at Carrickmines for industrial use.

That on December 23rd, 1997, at Buswells Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of a motion to rezone 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines as industrial in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown development plan.

That on December 23rd, 1997, at Buswells Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 88 acres of land at Carrickmines.

That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel in Dublin, he corruptly gave a sum of money to councillor Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines.

That on October 30th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave money to Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 88 acres at Carrickmines.

That on a date unknown between October 30th, 1997, and December 25th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Tony Fox of Fianna Fáil to secure his vote in favour of rezoning 36.85 acres of land at Carrickmines.

That on a date unknown between October 30th and December 25th, 1997, at the Davenport Hotel, he corruptly gave a sum of money to Tony Fox to secure his vote to rezone 88 acres at Carrickmines.

the_edge · January 19, 2009, 10:58pm

Indeed, when I saw the Opening Post, I also thought of that comment in Deep Throat’s post.

Green_Bear · January 19, 2009, 11:24pm

Here is one connected individual - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_T._Cosgrave

Green_Bear · February 19, 2009, 6:43am

CAB wins right to sue over ‘corrupt’ €53m rezoning
By TIM HEALY, Thursday February 19 2009
independent.ie/national-news … 44964.html

The court regarded as impeccable the original High Court decision dismissing JWP’s case
The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Criminal Assets Bureau to sue a property company for €53m arising out of the sale of lands in south county Dublin.
The CAB already has a freezing order on the 17 acres of land at Carrickmines, which are at the centre of a rezoning controversy.
The CAB claimed the value of the lands had jumped by €53m as a result of corrupt conduct, leading to “unjust enrichment” of Jackson Way Properties (JWP), under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The High Court was told previously that the 17 acres had been rezoned from agricultural to industrial at a special meeting of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown county council in December 1997 and CAB argued that the rezoning decision had been reached by corrupt payments to councillors.

yoganmahew · February 19, 2009, 8:43am

Goodness, if we see this used as a precedent by the CAB across the country, the state’s tax coffers will soon be overflowing again…

Green_Bear · May 19, 2009, 4:46am

Dunlop to be key witness in Cab case over land rezoning
PAUL CULLEN
irishtimes.com/newspaper/fro … 81430.html

Former government press secretary Frank Dunlop is to be a “crucial” witness for the Criminal Assets Bureau in forthcoming High Court proceedings aimed at seizing land at Carrickmines, south Dublin, which, it is alleged, was corruptly rezoned.
The land, owned by UK-registered Jackson Way Properties, increased considerably in value after Dunlop paid councillors to have it rezoned in 1997, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday.
The court also heard that Cab has sent files to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the alleged bribing of Dublin county councillors after Dunlop stated his willingness to give evidence in any proceedings against the politicians.
Any cases against councillors, if they ever come to court, are likely to take place in the District Court and involve relatively minor penalties.

Dunlop’s lawyers plead for him not to be imprisoned
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, PAUL CULLEN
irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire … 80705.html

Former cardioligist press secretary and lobbyist Frank Dunlop has suffered enough through his admitted involvement in corruption and should not be jailed, his lawyers have told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
A cardiologist told the court that Dunlop (62), of Rathbeggan, Dunboyne, Co Meath, suffers from a serious heart condition, while his former barrister emphasised Dunlop’s willingness to co-operate with the planning tribunal after his dramatic admission of involvement in corruption before the inquiry in 2000.
Judge Frank O’Donnell, after hearing the pleas of mitigation made by Dunlop’s legal team, put back sentencing until next Tuesday. The former lobbyist, who was placed on continuing bail until next week, faces a sentence of up to seven years in jail and/or a fine of €50,000