A man in his 50s arrested in Co Meath at the weekend in connection with an investigation into false claims to the Department of Social Protection has been released without charge. €45,000 in cash and two cars were seized during the operation which followed a search of a property on Saturday. A file is currently being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Garda say the false claims relate to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the subsequent theft of a substantial sum of money. They are focusing on claims made using the names of employees from companies that were not trading during the Covid-19 health emergency.
The claims were made without the knowledge of the companies or employees and approximately €250,000 was paid into bank accounts that were set up with false passports. Meanwhile, the EWSS allowed for companies whose revenue was down over 30% during the Covid-19 pandemic to make claims for support from Government and Covid recovery funds.
