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8 The Sunday Times May 24, 2020 NEWS Lights, camera, fabrication A high-budget online docudrama claims crime boss Daniel Kinahan is the victim of a conspiracy between a rival gang and the authorities. Crooks always love to rewrite history, finds John Mooney s video releases go on You- Tube, The Regency: Discover the Truth, was a short-lived affair. The 15-minute docu- mentary, about the paramili- tary-style assault on a boxing weigh-in held at the epony- mous Dublin hotel in 2016, was first broadcast on Sun- day night but taken down on Thursday over copyright infringement. IN PROGRESS ANo expense had been spared in the making of the production. The docu- drama featured actors, dressed as the garda’s emergency response unit and carrying imitation AK-47 assault rifles, sweeping through the corridors of a hotel in search of their target, Daniel Kinahan. At least 100 actors were hired for the shoot, which is thought to have been directed by a Welsh film-maker. Attention was paid to minute details — the produc- ers commissioned a replica of the Regency hotel’s welcoming mat — and there were even pyrotechnics: a getaway van explodes after being set on fire on a residential street. Lloyd James, a Welsh portrait photog- rapher, was hired to play the role of Kinahan, who in real life escaped from the venue by running through an emer- gency exit, though one of his friends, David Byrne, was shot dead. James dyed his hair and grew stubble to play the role. The propaganda film suggests the Regency attack was a conspiracy between a rival gang, the gardai and Fine Gael to win the 2016 election. It is a Industry sources say making the film “I didn’t receive any money to upload claims. I can’t confirm anything in it,” British rapper J Spades, them in a popular light,” he said. “These bizarre conspiracy theory, but it had cost in the region of €300,000. It was it. I just thought it was interesting. It was added the Scarcity manager, who lives in below, has recorded films often made the yakuza appear to already attracted more than 90,000 uploaded by Scarcity Studios, a YouTube given to me as something that showed a Birmingham. “Maybe I should have put a a song about Kinahan, be the victim of a government conspir- views before being taken down on Thurs- channel run by Douglas Alan Hone, who different version of events about the disclaimer at the beginning of the video portrayed by Lloyd James acy. At other times, yakuza bosses were day following a complaint from Inde- said he received the film from someone Regency attack,” said Hone, who posts to say I wasn’t endorsing it, or saying it in the film, above, being made out to be benevolent patriarchs pendent News & Media, whose material who contacted him anonymously on a videos of crime on his YouTube channel. was factual, as it upset a lot of people. I victimised by ‘the feds’ and the criminal organisation a positive was used without permission. “dead account” on Instagram. “The claims in the film are not my just thought it was an interesting film.” force in society.” While the identify of the film’s He said the yakuza’s involvement financier is unknown, it is assumed that almost killed the Japanese film industry. Kinahan sponsored the film as part of “Audiences stopped watching because a strategy to rehabilitate his reputation it was propaganda. Audiences don’t like it and cast doubt on his involvement in when history is rewritten,” he added. organised crime. Densley said organised criminals have The cartel he controls has already always sought to convince the public they supported the publication of Blood Feud, are “the good guys”. a print-on-demand book that portrayed “The Italian mafia in Naples are hand- him in a sympathetic light. Gardai ing out small loans to business to help have also identified what they describe them get through the pandemic, but it as a small army of internet trolls who always comes with strings attached,” said post favourable content on Twitter, Densley. “Pablo Escobar was another WhatsApp and Facebook about Kinahan, criminal who did this. He wanted to be who is regarded as the richest criminal in a folk hero. Escobar tried very hard to try Ireland, if not in Europe. to preserve his reputation as a man of the The British rapper J Spades has also people.” recorded a song, Major Plans, about The academic said that the most Kinahan, who he claims “helps” lots of compelling aspect of the Regency film people. It has received 1.5 million views is the attempt to portray the Irish govern- on YouTube. ment to be a sinister force, while the “I can’t ever recall a case where a criminals seek to exonerate themselves criminal has done something like this from their involvement in crime. Accord- for PR purposes,” said Brian Sherry, a ing to Densley, this approach is not retired detective inspector who has uncommon for criminals trying to extensive experience of Dublin’s rebrand themselves. underworld. “Irish criminals tend to “We are all aware of the saying that keep a low profile.” gangsters either end up dead or in Security services believe that Kinahan prison, but there’s another story is trying to engage in brand management whereby they claim to have turned their in order to distance himself from orga- backs on crime in order to go legit. People nised crime. Since leaving Ireland in often forget a lot of these people aspire to 2016, he has become a significant figure becoming legit,” he added. in the glitzy world of boxing promotions Densley described the process and event management. whereby criminals try to portray Kinahan was recently appointed a themselves as victims or in a favourable special adviser to KHK Sports, a company Criminals at light as “signalling”. controlled by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad “Criminals at the very apex of an Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s royal the apex organisation often go to great and expen- family. Last week the gangster issued sive lengths to signal that they’re more a press statement announcing his often go to than what the police say they are, like appointment as a special adviser to KHK spending €500,000 on a film to make Sports and MTK Global to promote great lengths themselves look good. They will get mixed-martial arts events in the Middle involved in charities or associate with East. He is also believed to be playing to signal public figures who give them credibility. a role in setting up a heavyweight unifica- The flip side of this is obviously the fact tion title fight between Tyson Fury, they’re more that these guys are master con artists. part of his MTK Global stable, and “Just as they once deceived the Anthony Joshua. than what the police and their criminal associates, Kinahan is not the first organised there is an element of them that finds crime figure to try to influence public police say it easy to deceive those who buy into opinion and create a new persona the new story. A lot of the traits that through films, books and social media. they are made them successful in crime are also The yakuza of Japan have financed the traits that enable them to infiltrate films that portray bosses as men of the polite society.” people. Pablo Escobar, Will Kinahan manage the Colombian narco-ter- to erase his past and rein- rorist, spent millions on vent himself as a boxing reputation management promoter? He is banned by sponsoring hospitals from entering the United and charitable events States, and he is fearful of while at the same time entering Europe should murdering politicians, he be arrested and extra- police and his rivals. dited. According to James “The Middle East is Densley, a professor of another matter,” pointed criminal justice at the out one gardai familiar Metropolitan State Uni- with the criminal. versity in Minnesota, “He might just have organised crime groups found a place where have often tried to people don’t ask too enhance their reputa- many questions, once tions through such you have enough money means. “In the 1970s and to make friends and buy 1980s, the yakuza bank- influence.” rolled films that cast Kinahan was believed to be the target of the Regency hotel shooting @JohnMooneyST 8 The Sunday Times October 13, 2019 9 NEWSBREXIT CRISIS ROLLS PRESS/POPPERFOTO Spectre of Leo and Boris revive job losses, flagging hopes of a deal NOEL MULLEN is many a slip between cup Thursday was and lip, and lots of things that polarised are not in my control.” a red-letter day The mood on the plane as it headed back to Dublin was in the quest for not quite jubilant. The attitude was that the hard a Brexit deal. work was yet to be done. As society and Coveney warned: “Mark my Have Varadkar words, we are not there yet.” On Friday morning, some and Johnson of the officials who travelled to Liverpool with Varadkar done enough? flew to Brussels to liaise with dissidents the EU Brexit taskforce while Justine McCarthy Barnier held a meeting with Stephen Barclay, the UK’s ith its leaded Brexit secretary. Declaring windows and the meeting “constructive”, Security experts predict the wood-panelled Barnier then briefed the 27 walls, the decor ambassadors, including of the hotel Ireland’s Declan Kelleher. economic fallout and ensuing room where They gave him permission to WLeo Varadkar resume talks with the UK.

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