The former Minister for Justice in the current Irish, Fianna Fail Government has fallen...
He was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in January 2005-but only for tax evasion-like Al Capone...
He resides in a secure and peaceful institute (Arbour Hill Jail,)where sex offenders paedophiles and rapists are protected -like politicians-from the wrath of O.D.(ordinary decent) criminals in Wheatfield or Mountjoy Jail.
Bertie,our Prime Minister, has given a beautiful eulogy to his lifelong comrade in arms ,a fallen Soldier of Destiny. Question is how can decent people skittle the rest of them.?
Anyway for the record,here we reprint Bertie,s moving words.....
"It is with profound regret that I have today accepted, on behalf of the Government, the resignation of the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Raphael P. Burke and his resignation from Dáil Éireann. Pending the appointment of a successor I, as Taoiseach, will assume responsibility for the Department of Foreign Affairs pro-tem.
His outstanding record of public service over the past thirty years, first as a County Councillor and later as a T.D., as well as the remarkable twenty nine years service of his late father Patrick J. Burke, demonstrate in real terms the deep commitment of the Burke family to the people of Dublin North and Dublin County.
Both he and his family can feel immensely proud of the major role he played in Government, in successfully achieving the breakthrough which resulted in today's historic events in the North. I thank him for the consummate professionalism with which he always fulfilled his Ministerial duties.
Ray Burke always distinguished himself in the Ministries to which he was appointed, by his great managerial capabilities and his high work-rate:
he introduced a series of initiatives in law reform and structural changes while in the Department of Justice, as well as tackling the whole area of serious offences against children;
he opened up a whole new era of local broadcasting when he legislated for the now successful local radio network which has changed the face of Irish broadcasting;
he stood four square with the strategically important development of Dublin Airport in good times, and when times were tough; and
he was in turn an excellent Minister for the Environment, for Energy, for Communications, for Justice and for Foreign Affairs.
He brought further distinction to his proud family tradition, to his family and friends, to his colleagues and constituents. This country owes him a debt of gratitude for his work on behalf of the nation, and his constant commitment to quality performance in his allotted tasks.
Those who choose politics as a profession, know from the outset that they are putting their lives on the line in their determination to serve the public. They have to accept the criticism which attends their decisions and their every action. Their families too learn to take the brunt of stinging remarks, which often overstep the boundaries of civility and courtesy.
In the case of Ray Burke, I see a much more sinister development: the persistent hounding of an honourable man to resign his important position, on the basis of innuendo and unproven allegations. Some who would class themselves as protectors of basic civil rights have harried and hounded this man without according him the basic right of due process, which deems us innocent unless proven guilty. I believe personally that the according of due process is not just a basic right, but the very essence of common decency.
There has been a sustained campaign of incremental intensity. When this debate first began there were calls for Ray Burke to make a public statement. Then there were demands for a Dáil Statement, followed by Questions and Answers. But when it was agreed that a special Tribunal would deal with all the issues fairly and comprehensively, that was still not enough.
There comes a time when even the strongest shoulder bows, when even the stoutest heart falters, when even the very best can resist no longer.
I regret the resignation of Ray Burke, my party colleague for twenty years and my Cabinet colleague for most of that period.
I deeply regret the reasons for his resignation and the pain and anguish caused to Anne, his family and friends. It is an indictment of those involved in forcing him to this pass, that they clamoured for his resignation without giving him the proper opportunity of proving his case before a properly constituted Tribunal or otherwise.
I always found him to be a proud honourable man, loyal and true, persevering and principled, caring and committed but tough and a person who often lost friends very easily. On behalf of the Government and particularly on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I thank him for his distinguished years in the service of his constituents and his country."
Thanks for that Bertie,It brings tears to the eyes of even the hardest hearts.
They say all his assets (Ray,s )have been in his wife,s name for the past 20 years.
Anyhow he will not starve on his ministerial pension of 80,000 euros yearly.
If emergency legislation can be enacted ,by Fianna Fail,to prevent old age pensioners getting back the money this government have stolen from them ,could something similiar not happen to remove this mans huge state pension? Not bloomin likely it wont.!
Burke is in jail because he evaded tax, but he was found to be corrupt by the planning tribunal. He was corrupt because there were those wealthy businessmen who saw in the politician a willing vehicle prepared to line his pockets with large amounts of money because he was in a position to do so.
Burke could not have become a rich man through abusing his position of trust unless there were those who were willing to exploit his greed for their own commercial interests. They are still there. And there will be another Burke because no matter what safeguards are put in place to try to ensure transparency and accountability by our public representatives and officials, they will not be able to contain human greed.
As far as that former minister for justice and foreign affairs was concerned, there was practically a litany of financial well-wishers ready to take advantage of his position of trust, and Ray Burke was not found wanting - apart from wanting more money.
*The tribunal deemed that Ray Burke got his house in Swords in a corrupt manner from property developer Tom Brennan, but no prosecution was sought against him.
*Another property developer, Joseph McGowan, along with Brennan, made a corrupt payment of £25,000 to the ex-minister. Again, no prosecution sought against him.
*Estate agent John Finnegan was found to have contributed a corrupt payment of £10,000 with McGowan and Brennan. No prosecution sought against him.
*Oliver Barry, businessman and owner of Century Radio, made what the tribunal found to be a corrupt payment of £35,000, and in response Burke proposed legislation to curb RTÉ advertising. Again, no prosecution.
*Property developer Joseph Murphy jnr made what was deemed a corrupt payment to Burke in a meeting set up in the knowledge of Joseph Murphy Snr, who is now deceased. No prosecution.
*Another property dealer, Michael Bailey, was present at a meeting in Burke's home when James Gogarty gave at least £30,000 to Burke on behalf of the Murphy brothers. The tribunal report noted that Bailey was seen passing another envelope to Burke believed to match the Murphy payment. No prosecution against Bailey.
Despite having avoided prosecution for such corrupt payments to Burke, they are not escaping justice entirely. Because their activities brought them to the attention of the tribunal, they have also attracted the notice of the Revenue Commissioners. On top of that, they also face multi-million euro legal bills.
Hopefully, they will reap every financial tribulation possible from the corrupt seeds they sowed in that shyster Burke. Money being the altar they worship at, it would be deliciously ironic if they ended up millions of euro worse off for the corrupt endeavours which were supposed to make them even richer men.
Nevertheless their present wealth is so great from decades of corruption that the inroads of the
Revenue Commissioners will hardly dent it...
The reality is that in this world ,the corrupt prosper,and continue to prosper to the day they die.
Ray Burke,colourful though his exploits have been has never been known to drive around red light districts in foreign parts,with young teenage prostitutes in the rear of his Mercedes.
Nevertheless Bertie had a similiar soliloquy in his pocket when Liam Lawlor, another crooked Fianna Fail politician and moneyspinner for the Tribunal lawyers, met his maker very suddenly indeed.
"In the midst of life, we are in death",the Good Book says, and Liam met his, wheeling and dealing with the Russian Mafia,and other property speculators in Eastern Europe, and sexually cavorting with unfortunate souls on the snowy streets of Moscow,in October 2005.
"As a man lives so shall he die"
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern speaking on news of Liam,s sudden demise added, http://www.soldiersofdestiny.org/openatlast.htm
"I have known Liam Lawlor since we were both first elected to Dail Eireann in the General Election of 1977.
In his youth, Liam was well known as a hurler of some renown and he represented Dublin and Leinster with distinction. He followed the route travelled by a number of many prominent GAA stars and swapped the playing pitches for political life.
Liam was elected as a TD for the constituency of Dublin West and during a 25-year career in politics, he was an assiduous worker on behalf of his constituents. In volatile political times in the Eighties, Liam lost his seat on two occasions but each time regained it in the following election. Liam announced his retirement from politics prior to the General Election in 2002.
At this difficult time, my thoughts are with Hazel and all Liam's family especially his daughter, Ciara, who worked with me during my time as leader of the Opposition.
"In April 2004,Liam accused the british based property developer Mr Gilmartin of being a liar over his account about a controversial meeting with Charles Haughey and members of his cabinet in Leinster House in 1989."
Lawlor denied taking property developer Jim Gilmartin to a meeting of the current batch of Fianna Fail big wigs at the time and accused the property developer of making "wild and wicked" allegations. But Mr Gilmartin hit back, saying that he had not been jailed for lying, and insisting that he had met Mr Haughey and his ministers in Leinster House.
The controversial meeting had already been disputed by several politicians - including the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern - whom Mr Gilmartin claims were present. With the exception of the then Education Minister Mary O'Rourke, all the other politicians - including Mr Ahern - contended that either they had no recollection of the meeting or that they did not attend.
Some day," mature reflection" by one or other of them, may amend that story...but the Soldiers of Destiny- like the Mafia -generally take their murky secrets with them-as in Liam Lawlor,s case- to the grave.
"The tribunal's legal team is wandering around the remains of Carrickmines Castle and its piseogs and leprechaun haunts searching for some invisible crock of wrongdoing on my part. I am not in a position to oblige," said Liam Lawlor in response to allegations that he had an interest in Jackson Way land at Carrickmines
http://www.soldiersofdestiny.org/openatlast.htm
From 2002 Lawlor was jailed three times for refusing to co-operate with the Flood Tribunal, the body established to investigate allegations of a corrupt network of politicians and building developers in his Dublin West Constituency.
Lawlor had admitted to taking bribes from the late lobbyist Frank Dunlop on behalf of builders. As a county councillor and later TD the 60-year-old politician rezoned land earmarked for industrial use to land for property development instead. He received tens of thousands in kick-backs while the developers made hundreds of millions speculating on the rezoned land.
It has since emerged that one of the reasons Lawlor preferred imprisonment in Dublin's notorious Mountjoy jail was that he feared naming a number of business associates in the city's criminal underworld. Lawlor was suspected of recycling cash for criminals into property across western Dublin and latterly into eastern Europe. After refusing to name names Lawlor resigned from Fianna Fail under massive pressure from the party's leadership.
