Gardai are playing a waiting game – to see when a United Arab Emirates court agrees to extradite a Kinahan cartel leader to Ireland, Commissioner Drew Harris has admitted.
“It’s subject to judicial examination, and we await just the result of that,” he said of Ireland’s request to have the UAE kick Sean McGovern out of the oil-rich Middle Eastern State.
McGovern, 38, was arrested by authorities in Dubai last October on foot of an extradition request by Irish authorities over two serious Kinahan cartel crimes – but he has still not been sent back to his native Dublin.
The extradition request came after the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered that Crumlin native McGovern, a key ally of mob boss Daniel Kinahan, 47, be charged with a gang offence – and a murder.
He is to be charged with directing a crime gang in Ireland – an offence that can carry a life sentence upon conviction.
But he is also to be charged over the December 2016 murder of Noel Kirwan, 62, shot dead outside his home in Clondalkin, west Dublin.
Innocent Mr Kirwan was targeted because he was seen walking with Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, 62 at the funeral of his murdered brother Eddie Hutch.
Eddie, 58, was shot dead at his home in inner city Dublin on February 8, 2016 – three days after the Hutch gang killed Kinahan ally David Byrne, 34, in the daylight gun attack on the city’s Regency Airport Hotel.
The Monk was later charged with Byrne’s murder – but was acquitted after a sensational trial in front of the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Gardai were given the green light to charge McGovern with the Eddie Hutch murder as well as directing a gang in April 2022 – shortly after the top tier of the Kinahan cartel were sanctioned by the United States.
Daniel, his father Christy Kinahan, 67, and 43-year-old brother Christopher all had $5 million bounties placed on their heads – but McGovern was named on the seven-person sanctions list as well.
American authorities alleged he was Daniel Kinahan’s advisor and closest confidant.
He and the Kinahans have been holed up in Dubai for several years – and thought they were out of the Garda’s reach as there is no extradition deal between there and Ireland.
But former Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Commissioner Harris lobbied Dubai authorities, and they arrested McGovern for extradition in October. He is now fighting the request and a court there will soon decide his fate.
Asked about the case earlier this week as he attended the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Killarney, Co Kerry, Commissioner Harris said the case was still with the courts in the UAE.
He said: “My understanding is he’s still working through the judicial process in the UAE and when he’s within that judicial process I don’t think it’s particularly wise for me to comment on either timescales or indeed the outcome.
“It’s subject to a judicial examination and we await just the result of that.”
And when asked if it was out of the Garda’s hand, he replied: “Yes, well in effect it’s with the judicial authorities in the UAE, United Arab Emirates.”
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan also attended the conference – and praised the Garda’s takedown of the Kinahan cartel, which has seen more than 70 members jailed and was the subject of a recent BBC documentary.
He said: “The gardai have done an outstanding job when it comes to taking on and defeating the Kinahan gang.
“Sometimes that’s just taken for granted.
“I understand that the BBC are making documentaries about the Kinahan gang. So the gardai did an excellent job. In terms of future developments in respect of named individuals or other extradition agreements, they’re in process.”
The three Kinahan men are also still in Dubai, but are free as gardai have not laid any charges against them.
However, the DPP is studying a file in which gardai have recommended serious charges for all three. Gardai want them charged with directing a crime gang.
The law officer is also examining a separate file in which gardai ask for Daniel Kinahan and Sean McGovern to be charged over the Eddie Hutch murder.
Ireland has now agreed an extradition treaty with the UAE – and it is to be enacted in the coming months.
Eddie Hutch, David Byrne and Noel Kirwan were just three of the estimated 18 victims of the Kinahan-Hutch feud.
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