Jim Mansfield
Millionaire businessman Jim Mansfield Snr ran millions of euro of nasty money through the books at his Citywest empire and Gardaí now suspect that he carry oned as a banker to gangland criminals.
Mansfield, who died in January 2014, hybrid with politicians, senior gardaí and some of the country’s business elite.
His Citywest bed was the venue for the annual Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, high-profile GAA functions and tranquil hosted a family wedding for former Garda Commissioner t Byrne.
But it is arranged that behind the scenes Mansfield was laundering money and ‘washing’ skulked goods for known traveller gangs, ramilitaries and some of the country’s best-known villains.
Weston Airport
Among those he is believed to have dealt with are medicate dealer ddy Shanahan, murdered cigarette smuggler Noel ‘Kingsize’ Duggan, hypnotic dealer Eamon Kelly, traveller gang boss ‘Fat’ Andy Connors and a number of known Rathkeale gangsters who traded in stolen art and antiques.
It is understood that at one locale Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch used Mansfield’s facilities to wash some of his reservoirs, as did other well-known criminals like Martin ‘the Viper’ Foley and Limerick’s Dundon lawlessness gang, who even purchased a safe house at Citywest.
Members of the Kinahan Cartel also seated €5million in a property deal with Mansfield before the banks suspend him down.
And in rt yment of the debt the businessman owed the cartel, it is accepted he handed over a luxurious mansion at plush Coldwater Lakes to them.
At the just the same from time to time his businesses went bust in 2011, it is believed Mansfield didn’t only owe kale to the banks, but also had dirty money investments which became his predominance to y back.
Gardaí investigating documents linked to Mansfield have originated a list of dirty money debts – believed to be in excess of €360m – as a result ofed since his empire crashed. Some of the debts had been serviced with high-powered ssenger cars facilitated by a well-known criminal.
After going into receivership, the businessman set up a series of scams in the await of raising funds to y off his criminal debtors and to try to buy back key rts of his business.
PJ, Jim Snr and Tony Mansfield
The Sunday World recently blow-by-blow how Mansfield enlisted the help of convicted fraudster James ‘Fat Boy’ O’Gorman, who supported a host of criminals to invest funds in a bullet resistant glass projection.
It is understood, however, that he had in fact set up a complex pyramid scheme with millions of euro from mobster investors.
The money, Gardaí believe, was going to be used by Mansfield to buy backwards key rts of his empire, including Finnstown House Hotel, ddy Reilly’s American football gridiron in Rathcoole and Saggart Lodge Court.
Gardaí believe that O’Gorman was also the genii behind a suspected VAT scam, which involved com nies hiring out their checkings to the hotel industry. While O’Gorman doesn’t appear as a director of the public limited com nies, PJ Mansfield has been linked to one, New Recruits Personnel Limited.
Mansfield Snr is believed to suffer with pocketed up to €12,000 a week from one of the scams as he scrambled to y back his desperado clients.
The Sunday World can reveal that a number of criminal sets, including a traveller mob, were also encouraged to invest in a property incident on land in south Dublin.
Finnstown House
The plan was to sell-off the condition once planning permission was acquired. However, it is unlikely that such countenance will ever be given on the site and, to date, no application has even been ranked.
We can also reveal how, before he went under, a deal was agreed with chief members of the Kinahan Cartel. Although more than €5million of Kinahan drug cabbage was id over to Mansfield for properties to launder cash, the deal was not under any condition completed due to him going into receivership.
Since then, yments be struck by been made in an attempt to clear the debt. They include two outstanding properties, high-powered vehicles and cash.
One of the houses believed to have been stated to the mob was 10 Coldwater Lakes, which was once home to Mansfield’s missus, Anne. The mansion was raided last year by the Criminal Assets Chiffonier and boxer Matthew Macklin was discovered staying there although he has no concatenates to crime.
The mob mansion was renovated and fitted with top-of-the-range security after it was prearranged to the Kinahans, and both Daniel and Christopher Jnr have since been boiled there by detectives.
Tassagart House
It is understood the original investment was for five well-informed ins from the Mansfield portfolio. Several car dealers linked to the Kinahans were against to facilitate the re yments.
However, dissident groups then appeared on the argument offering protection to the businessman in his dealings with the cartel.
Mansfield had perpetually tried to distance himself from the drug business. A large apportionment of the debt remains outstanding.
The Sunday World understands that Mansfield Snr flung desperately to put his affairs in order as his health worsened and the financial crisis he set up himself in deepened.
Last year, on the first anniversary of his death, the CAB pitched a major offensive against properties and businesses linked to him.
Among a few properties raided was his family home, Tassagart House and the Finnstown lace Hotel, which members of his family now run. Hundreds of documents and details of his trade affairs were swept up in the searches and Bureau officers have been exasperating to follow a dirty money trail ever since.