Former Vodafone executive faces 13 extra charges over €2m theft

Additional charges have been brought against a former senior executive at Vodafone Ireland who is accused of stealing almost €2 million from the company over a four-year period.

Yesterday 13 counts of deception were put to Niall Barron, who had previously held the position of head of corporate financial services at the telecoms company. He was granted bail while prosecutors prepare evidence they intend to use for his trial.

The 40-year-old, who has an address at Ard na Cuan in Wexford town, had first appeared at Dublin District Court in July to face 42 charges under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act..

No reply

Det Stephen Niland of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation had then said the accused made no reply to those charges.

It is alleged those offences occurred at Vodafone’s headquarters in Leopardstown in Co Dublin from 2003 until 2007.

Originally he faced one charge of attempted theft and two for attempted deception; the remaining counts were split between theft of various sums totalling €1,983,000 from the company, and deception by inducing Vodafone to make payments to named business entities, for his own gain.

Yesterday, Mr Barron made his second appearance at the District Court where Judge Anthony Halpin heard that there were 13 new charges. Det Niland said that the accused, "made no reply after caution".

Deception

The fresh deception charges, under section 6 of the Theft and Fraud Act, are for allegedly inducing Vodafone Ireland to pay various sums to named business entities, from 2003 until 2006.

The accused was remanded on bail and ordered to appear again on October 14th next when it is expected he will be served with a book of evidence and returned for trial.

A second person was also charged on July 31st last and is due back in court later this month.