Gardaí in Cork have begun an investigation after the theft of €1,200 from a man in a Garda station following his arrest for public order offences earlier this week.
The man, who is in his 30s, was arrested in the city at about 4am last Monday morning for a public order offence and brought to a station in the city where he was detained for several hours.
When arrested he was searched and €1,200 was taken from him along with other possessions and placed in a locker in a secure area in the Garda station. But when he was being released without charge at about 9am Monday morning gardaí discovered that the €1,200 was missing.
Gardaí mounted an extensive search of the secure area but failed to find the money and the man was then offered the opportunity to make a formal complaint about the disappearance of his cash, which he duly did.
He has since been recompensed for the loss, but Garda authorities in Cork have started a criminal investigation into the station theft.
Secure area
Senior gardaí are preparing to interview all officers on duty in the station during the relevant period as well as other people who may have had access to the secure area.
The Garda Press Office confirmed that officers are investigating “an alleged theft incident” at a Garda station in Cork city and that the force had also “referred the matter to Gsoc”.
According to the press office statement, the incident in the station has prompted “a review of how prisoners’ property is managed” in the Cork city Garda Division.
