Theft & deception is a 'very minor offence'

BendiBus

I despair sometimes. A public representative gets jailed for stealing money, trying to steal more and 5 more crimes of deception and false accounting and the locals are organising a petition to have him let off

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0320/fahym.html

Spokesperson Gary Higgins - a local shopkeeper in Labane, near Mr Fahy's home - said people in the area were shocked and dumbfounded by the handing down of a jail sentence for what they regarded as 'a very minor offence'

How are we supposed ever have a mature democracy when the electorate tells it's politicians it's OK to be corrupt?

johnnyskeleton

I don't think it is our destiny to have a mature democracy.

I suppose that you can elect anyone you want, criminal or otherwise.

It also reminds me that (contrary to what is said in the "Judge lets rapist off" thread in politics) popular opinion on the harshness / leniency of sentences can be quite disparate and sometimes illogical.

Gurgle

BendiBus wrote:

I despair sometimes. A public representative gets jailed for stealing money, trying to steal more and 5 more crimes of deception and false accounting and the locals are organising a petition to have him let off

I've mixed feelings on this one tbh.

On the one hand, I believe an elected representative who abuses power for his own personal gain should be tried for treason and sentenced accordingly.

On the other hand, theres so much scum in this country who have convictions clocked up by the dozen for everything from assault & robbery to stealing cars without ever doing time that it seems unfair to come down hard on white collar crime.

12 months seems reasonable in this case, along with a permanent ban from ever running for office again.

Of course the ban should be redundant, surely nobody in their right mind would ever vote for this guy again - but theres plenty of evidence that a lot of people are not in their right minds.

InFront

BendiBus wrote:

How are we supposed ever have a mature democracy when the electorate tells it's politicians it's OK to be corrupt?

It's a very strange phenomenon alright. Michael Lowry tops the poll in Tipperary every general election. Suspicion about Bertie Ahern's alleged financial misdemeanours served him in good stead. And now, Michael Fahy's electorate want to get him off the hook for trying to steal thousands of Euro of public money.

Is corruption or roguery going to be an election promise at some stage?

DadaKopf

The answer is, our local and national governments aren't run by politicians. They're run by 'fixers'. Outside Dublin, this is 'real politics'. It's an alternate view of citizenship, the memory of which, as a hangover from colonial days, is passed from generation to generation. It's a world that needs to be dismantled.

The cost of this kind of corruption to democracy and fairness in Ireland - a core aspiration of the founders of the Republic (I hope) - is priceless. But there are those in Ireland who refuse to be 'dictated to' by Dublin. They still believe they're the torchbearers of true Ireland and therefore are justified in their corruption. Works for them, but what about everybody else?

But this is just a smokescreen for self-interest.

There should be a grassroots counter-campaign challenging these crazy people on their crazy ideas about what an open, fair, democratic society really is.

Is corruption or roguery going to be an election promise at some stage?

It already is. You have to read between the lines.

gandalf

Couldn't believe the "locals" on that piece last night on RTE. The money that Michael Fahy stole came directly out of their pockets. If he came into their businesses or home and pilfered the same amount I am sure they would have been calling for his head.

I agree with Gurgle on this, 12 months is the right sentence and a ban from ever standing for office in the state again.

DadaKopf

12 months + €75,000 fine. I haven't seen any coverage. Is it that bad?

Padraig Mor

Was sickening to see that report last night. No doubt these 'locals' are the first to complain about all politicians being useless etc etc etc. One guy even referred - without irony - to Fahy as being "the most honest man I know". The mind boggles....

BendiBus

BendiBus wrote:

I despair sometimes. A public representative gets jailed for stealing money, trying to steal more and 5 more crimes of deception and false accounting and the locals are organising a petition to have him let off

He should have shot someone in Mayo, he'd have got bonfires and a fireworks reception.

The_Minister

gandalf wrote:

a ban from ever standing for office in the state again.

Tempting, but that's not the court's decision. I would ban several members of Sinn Fein from running if it was possible due to past behaviour. Let everyone know what he did, through the national media, then let im run again. If he is elected, then obviously people think that he is worth it. We can't start excluding people from running, even if we think that they are sub-par.

lostexpectation

listen to this a FF senator Michael Kitt going for the same dail consituency is asked several times whether the guy (who is still a councillor thought not in FF anymore) refused to say whether he thinks somebody who defrauded the council should be removed from it????

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0321/fahym.html

FF vote for crooks and friends of crooks 2007

ballooba

Deleted User wrote:

He should have shot someone in Mayo, he'd have got bonfires and a fireworks reception.

Is Padraig Nally going to become the Politics equivalent of the Alfa Romeo in the Motors forum. i.e. brought up where it's completely irrelevant.

Padraig Nally is not a public representative. He was also found innocent.

ballooba

ballooba wrote:

Padraig Nally is not a public representative. He was also found innocent.

But surely 'minor' can only be defined in the context of other offences. What is a major or minor offence is all relative. The point I was making was, when one can saunter out of court after killing a man, this is pretty small beans.

I'm happy to note you value convictions so highly though with reference to Nally. I guess I can revisit all the Haughey threads and see your sterling defence of that man!

oscarBravo

Padraig Nally is off-topic. Don't go there.

mike65

Was surprised but glad to hear of the custodial sentence handed down, such a move has not happened before and the boyos were happy, now a line has been drawn and every lickspittle cute hoor counciller in the land will be looking over thier shoulder, esp if the media comes sniffing.

When (ex-Dame) Shirley Porter got hammered I remember thinking that would never happen here. Glad I was wrong, she never did time.

Mike.

padser

mike65 wrote:

Was surprised but glad to hear of the custodial sentence handed down, such a move has not happened before and the boyos were happy, now a line has been drawn and every lickspittle cute hoor counciller in the land will be looking over thier shoulder, esp if the media comes sniffing.

Here here. Now if only we could lock up the rest of them too.

Incidently I think the reason politics is so corrupt is that most decent (genuinely honest) people steer clear of it. And the temptations of being in power must be great.

purple'n'gold

I see he has appealed the judge’s decision to the high court. I would bet that at the end of the day he will not do any jail time.

Brian Capture

mike65 wrote:

Was surprised but glad to hear of the custodial sentence handed down, such a move has not happened before and the boyos were happy, now a line has been drawn and every lickspittle cute hoor counciller in the land will be looking over thier shoulder, esp if the media comes sniffing.

When (ex-Dame) Shirley Porter got hammered I remember thinking that would never happen here. Glad I was wrong, she never did time.

Mike.

This country is in thrall to cute hoorism.

Padraig Mor

Did the police haul this guy's ass off to jail yet or is he still pretending to be 'sick'?

gandalf

This is the latest news I could find about him.

http://www.galwayfirst.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=691&Itemid=411

Its amazing how these FF'ers get ill when they have to serve some porraige eh

mike65

This is going to drag on and on is'nt it? It'll reach a point where everyone has 'forgotten' about it and the courts somehow don't bother issuing a bench warrant. Ah sure it IS a great little county!

Mike.

gandalf

Well I suppose there is one silver lining, he is having to endure the Health Service

nesf

DadaKopf wrote:

The answer is, our local and national governments aren't run by politicians. They're run by 'fixers'. Outside Dublin, this is 'real politics'.

Is it really that different in Dublin? In a lot of people's minds a TD's first duty is to the constituency and their second is to the state.

cast_iron

nesf wrote:

In a lot of people's minds a TD's first duty is to the constituency and their second is to the state.

That's why it shouldn't be hard to believe what the locals said.

Gandalf may be right - he may well be robbing money from them, but to put a different spin on it, it's like taking €10 from one pocket and putting €20 in the other.

Sure even I would love that...

fly_agaric

nesf wrote:

In a lot of people's minds a TD's first duty is to the constituency and their second is to the state.

Er no IMO. Their first duty is to themselves. Their second duty is to "special citizens":) who are friends of themselves or their party, their 3rd is to their constituents (or the subset of constituents they think might throw a vote their way anyway - the rest can go f themselves!) and paddy last is the state. And that's the way we want it too!

nesf

fly_agaric wrote:

Er no IMO. Their first duty is to themselves. Their second duty is to "special citizens":) who are friends of themselves or their party, their 3rd is to their constituents (or the subset of constituents they think might throw a vote their way anyway - the rest can go f themselves!) and paddy last is the state. And that's the way we want it too!

*shrugs*

I wasn't saying that it was a good thing or anything, just something that I observed among people. It's self-serving and an optimal strategy tbh, working out all the complicated legislature in the world won't help you be re-elected if you are perceived to be ignoring the "locals". Especially when it comes to things like incinerators, planning etc.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Think the fine & a suspended sentence would have been more appropriate here.

However I also recognise this is probably quite the deterrant to others who may consider abusing their position.

gandalf

Good news, according to RTE News the FF criminal is on his way to Prison at the moment.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0423/fahym.html

mike65

Exellent, O'Bubba and his baby lotion await.

Mike.