Alleged IRA killer’s assets seized
The assets of a South Armagh man, who was accused in the House of Commons of being one of the IRA’s most ruthless killers, has had his assets seized by the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) has been granted a court order to take control of properties and bank accounts belonging to Sean Gerard Hughes of Aghadavoyle Road, Drumintee.
East Belfast DUP MP and now party leader Peter Robinson used parliamentary privilege in December 2002 to link Hughes to the South Quay bombing at London’s Canary Wharf in 1996, which killed two people and brought the previous IRA ceasefire to an end.
He said Hughes was also responsible for the murder of 12 soldiers at Warrenpoint, Co Down, a mortar bomb in Newry, Co Down, and the killing of Lord Chief Justice Maurice Gibson and his wife Cecily in 1987.
He said Hughes was the most “ruthless killer and thug” in the ranks of the IRA.
Sean Hughes has denied being a member of the IRA Army Council.
The agency claimed the assets came from laundering the proceeds of mortgage fraud, tax evasion and benefit fraud.
The assets frozen include eight houses in south Armagh, an apartment in south Belfast, the proceeds of the sale of three other houses in south Armagh and a number of bank accounts.
The agency has also taken control of assets belonging to 10 other people in the south Armagh area, including Mr Hughes wife, Annette.
Warrenpoint
