Hutch to appear in Spanish court over money laundering

Gerard Hutch, the man known as 'the Monk', is due to appear in court in Spain this afternoon in connection with alleged money laundering offences.

The case of the 61-year-old and eight other people is due to commence before a judge in Lanzarote.

Others include a close relative of Hutch, and legal and business people who were working for him.

The judge has imposed a secrecy order in the case in Spain.

All nine were arrested two days ago as part of a joint investigation involving the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Guardia Civil who are lead agency.

Of the nine, two are Irish while the rest are other nationalities and some are believed to be English.

They are due before a court in Arrecife in Lanzarote and the hearings may take some time as they could each be brought before the judge individually.

The Spanish legal system is inquisitorial rather than adversarial and the judge in the case is the primary investigator.

He can remand all or any of the nine in custody or grant bail while the investigation continues.

Gardaí from NBCI are in Spain and have been working closely with the Guardia Civil on the case.

Evidence from the garda search of Hutch's Clontarf home earlier this week, which includes electronic devices and documentation, is being handed over to the Spanish authorities.

The search of his Clontarf home took place on foot of an international letter of request and mutual assistance from the Spanish authorities.

An officer from the Guardia Civil was present at the search for evidence in Dublin while officers from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation accompanied Spanish police on searches in Spain.

The Guardia Civil carried out ten searches.

The investigation into money laundering across several countries by the Hutch Organised Crime Group has been ongoing for more than two years.

It has been focused on the movements of large sums of money and the purchase of a number of properties in Spain.

Hutch has been regularly travelling between Spain and Ireland since his release from custody in April last year after he was found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne by the Special Criminal Court.

He has a home in Lanzarote and his close relative, who is also due in court this afternoon, has been living there for at least the past two years.

The police investigation in Spain is believed to involve a national unit of the Guardia Civil from the Spanish mainland but they are working closely with the local police and judiciary.

Gardaí say the operation is part of ongoing liaison between the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Guardia Civil in Spain, targeting a transnational organised crime group located both in Ireland and Spain.

There has been no comment from the Guardia Civil in Spain because of the "secrecy order".