A Longford car dealer alleged to have been involved in a campaign of intimidation aimed at halting land sales has been charged with being found at the wheel with no insuarance.
Alex Kane (pictured inset), Cartron, Granard, Co Longford was charged with having no insurance at Rathcronan, Granard, Co Longford on May 26, 2021.
He was also charged with failing to produce a driver's licence within ten days under Section 40 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.
The accused has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is due to face a full hearing on the matter at the end of May.
Mr Kane was before the same court last month where he was convicted and fined for committing Pandemic Unemployment (PUP) fraud.
He was convicted of three counts of dishonestly by deception inducing the Minister of the Department of Social Protection to pay money into his Ulster Bank account.
Mr Kane received Pandemic Unemployment Payment totalling €2,653, but paid back €6,500 to the court when it came before Judge Bernadette Owens.
The court was told how the defendant made four online applications for the PUP in May of 2020. Mr Kane subsequently received one payment of €203 and seven payments of €350 between April, 2020 and June 2020 totalling €2,653.
An investigation by the Revenue Commissioners indicated Mr Kane was not eligible for the payment and was in receipt of a payment from Northern Ireland in respect of an application he made as an employee of Rathcronin Motors, a company dissolved in 2018.
The court was told Mr Kane has not been a PAYE employee since 2009.
Mr Kane was once the owner of Kanes of Granard, but it was sold by a receiver after the Revenue Commissioners secured a €4.97 million judgment against him for unpaid tax on car sales.
He was previously jailed for contempt of court orders following an alleged long-running ‘intimidation campaign’ targeted at thwarting the work of the receiver, who was selling off properties to satisfy the judgment.
The receiver alleged that threats were made to put off potential buyers, with incidents including alleged attempted arson attacks and the repeated placement of livestock on the land.
John Alex Kane denied orchestrating these threats.
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