Three former NCT employees accused of accepting bribes
Three former National Car Test employees and another man have appeared in court accused of accepting bribes in exchange for certificates road-worthiness.
They were arrested and charged following a four-year Garda investigation in the wake of an RTÉ Primetime documentary in 2011.
Former National Car Test (NCT) workers Alan Richardson (aged 27) of Paddock Grove, Adamstown, Lucan, Dublin, Vincent Brunton (aged 32) with an address at Priory Square, Cellbridge, Co. Kildare, Darren Meehan (aged 39) with an address at Delemare, Enfield, Co Meath appeared at Dublin District Court today along with the fourth defendant Stephen Rooney (aged 35) of Paddock Grove, Adamstown, Lucan, Dublin.
Mr Richardson is accused of accepting cash as an inducement to procure an NCT certificate and creating a false NCT cert on May 14, 2011.
Vincent Brunton is charged with accepting a gift as an inducement to procure an NCT cert, failing to perform an NCT test on cars and creating a false NCT certificate on April 20, 2011.
Mr Meehan is charged with making a false NCT certificate and accepting a bribe on May 14, 2011, and Mr Rooney is charged with three counts of creating a false NCT certifcate in 2011.
They were arrested today by appointment.
Detective Sean O'Riordain of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation told Judge Michael Walsh that the four men “made no reply” when they were charged.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that they must face trial on indictment which means their cases will go before a judge and jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The four men, who have not yet entered pleas, were remanded on bail to appear again in the district court in January when it is expected they will be served with books of evidence and returned for trial.
