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Frank Dunlop: scapegoat or justice?

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  • 11-01-2010 9:09pm
    #1
    Rebelheart
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,077 ✭✭✭


    I believe Frank Dunlop should have been sent to jail for corruption as he was. I want to be very clear about this from the outset. Story here, for those who have forgotten it: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0526/breaking4.htm

    However, the longer I see that he is the only one who has been sent to jail the more uncomfortable I get about this. It is as if he is the token sacrifice from the Irish political establishment. And that type of thinking I abhor.

    Frank Dunlop has now entered a new year among the child rapists and pedophiles in Arbour Hill prison. He was given a two-year custodial sentence (and a €30,000 fine) on 25 May 2009 for bribing public officials. Fair enough. What is not, however, fair is that Dunlop had turned state witness and given evidence against a large number of elected political figures in this republic. He provided a unique, almost supergrass, service to this state in exposing public officials who took and demanded money for working on behalf of developers. For this, he, and he alone, has been sent to prison. There are no inquiries into any of the people that he revealed he had bribed. Essentially, he admitted to bribing people who themselves have avoided charges in a court in this state. Why have they not been prosecuted when the "informer" has received the full extent of the law?

    Where is the justice in this? Can somebody please tell me?


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    #2
    97i9y3941
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,616 ✭✭✭97i9y3941


    defo a scapegoat it was disgusting and outrageous as you quiet right put it those who took the brides managed to get off scott free,even the people in the neverending tribunals werent given a jail sentence,at a time when we are trying to put away the monsters of society behind bars but sending dunlop to prison which takes up prison space and taxpayers money is a scandal


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    #3
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭gizmo555


    Rebelheart wrote: »
    Frank Dunlop has now entered a new year among the child rapists and pedophiles in Arbour Hill prison. He was given a two-year custodial sentence (and a €30,000 fine) on 25 May 2009 for bribing public officials. Fair enough. What is not, however, fair is that Dunlop had turned state witness and given evidence against a large number of elected political figures in this republic. He provided a unique, almost supergrass, service to this state in exposing public officials who took and demanded money for working on behalf of developers. For this, he, and he alone, has been sent to prison.

    Nothing new in this. With all the corruption, fraud and tax evasion uncovered by the beef tribunal, the only person to serve time in prison was Susan O'Keefe, the journalist who broke the story, for refusing to disclose her sources.


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    #4
    Joey the lips
    Registered Users Posts: 10,262 ✭✭✭✭Joey the lips


    Dunlop is a scape goat indeed and your right op. Next time you vote bear this in mind as abstention which a lot of people seem to be carrying out only leaves these people in power.

    Its sad to think that the people who are really affected by corruption etc are the very people who fail to vote. Thus they actually leave these people to carry on there acts.

    However if you want a real laugh just look at the popularity of michael lowry. As an independent he is doing better than he every did.


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    #5
    InReality
    Registered Users Posts: 1,374 ✭✭✭InReality


    There is little impetus to go after white collar crime or political corruption in many counteries but in Ireland this drive/impetus is particularly weak.

    There is basically no institutional counter-balance to the power of wealth in this country , and the legal system is set up to reflect this.

    1.
    In the states you can have public prosector go after "corrupt" politicans / mob etc. If they win a case they can start their own political career so they have a good incentive there. No comparision here.

    2.
    Congressional hearings can investigate and question powerful industries.
    At least some sort of "show" can be held and then the the congress members can get good publicity for that , so they have an incentive to do it.
    Here a dail commitee has basically no powers.

    3.
    President and congress and supreme court.
    3 powers in conflict. Can and do work against each other to some degree.
    Here we elect a taoiseach , and thats it.
    No limit on what he/she does , supreme court never intervenes in politics , has no real power .

    4. Media
    very little power here , although FOI and new libel laws have the potential to help.

    So given this set-up its not surprising we have this level of corruption.


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    #6
    Dostoevsky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭Dostoevsky


    Frank Dunlop was released from prison yesterday after serving his full sentence.
    Bribe lobbyist Dunloped released from prison (several inaccuracies in this rather lazy and conjecture-permeated article - e.g. Rathbeggan is not in Wicklow - but the story is not in The Irish Times or RTÉ)

    Any hope that other people will ever be sent to prison for accepting bribes? A single person? It really is shameful.


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