July 21, 2019 · Issue no 10,167 · thesundaytimes.ie RoI €3 (inc Vat) · NI £2.90 GET THE SUNDAY MAGAZINE TIMES AND TIMES IRELAND FOR JUST BEST DOLLY AND PANDORA BEACHES HOW TO DO CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR €5A MONTH SUNDAY MILLENNIALS See page 8 IN IRELAND T&Cs apply 50FBI assists LOWRY CAPS THEM ALL AT PORTRUSH criminal REUTERS/PAUL CHILDS Delaney ‘used probe into Isis bride Lisa Smith FAI funds’ for John Mooney Irish jihadist Lisa Smith is the his 50th party subject of an international crimi- nal investigation into her involve- ment in Islamic terrorism by garda liability to the organisation caused Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan special branch and the FBI. FOOTBALL FALLOUT by him. The board agreed to inves- Gardai are gathering evidence John Delaney, the former FAI chief How Delaney lost the FAI tigate whether Delaney was with a view to prosecuting Smith executive, was being investigated dressing room responsible for the four areas high- under the Criminal Justice (Terror- in relation to four separate allega- Full story, pages 4-5 lighted as concerns. ist Offences) (Amendment) Act tions — including a claim that the In the days prior to the April 15 2015, which allows persons to be association made improper pay- football pundit Eamon Dunphy meeting, Delaney’s supporters charged with offences if they have ments for his 50th birthday cele- and comedian Brendan O’Carroll. said he had told them privately he committed or encouraged others bration — when he agreed to go on Aleksander Ceferin, the former was leaving the FAI. At the meeting to participate in the commission of gardening leave last April. Uefa president, also attended. a delegation was charged with ask- terrorist acts abroad. The Sunday Times has estab- After Delaney failed on March 16 ing Delaney “whether or not he Detectives are interviewing lished that the FAI had resolved to get a court injunction against a had resigned”. If not, they could witnesses, including military to investigate Delaney over con- Sunday Times story about a accept him voluntarily stepping personnel, with whom Smith cern that he: €100,000 loan he made to the FAI aside pending investigations or allegedly discussed her extremist l Failed to use his FAI credit card in 2017, he warned the association they could suspend him. views and ideologies before she properly that it “owed him a substantial sum At the same meeting Conway travelled to Syria to join Isis, the l Failed to manage the finances of money”. Delaney claimed to be said the board intended to tell terrorist group which committed of the FAI “broadly €100,000 in credit with Sport Ireland it would step down war crimes against local popula- l Failed to control his personal contributions to the FAI”. “in its entirety” after a new struc- tions in Iraq. Gardai hope to amass expenses On March 22 the FAI board voted ture was outlined. After the sub- enough evidence to charge Smith l Made a series of payments from unanimously to move Delaney to committee met Delaney, the rest of FAI funds not in the ordinary the new position of executive vice- the board was told he was stepping course of FAI business. president but within days the aside immediately. He would not IN THIS SECTION This expenditure includes FAI board complained that it had been perform FAI duties unless those Why Lisa Smith is payments for Delaney’s birthday rushed into that decision. were required by Conway. persona non grata party; a €100,000 payment to As early as March 26, more than The deal was that Delaney News Review, page 15 Paddy Goodwin, Delaney’s per- two weeks before Delaney and FAI would be “paid as normal” pend- sonal solicitor; and payments to officials appeared at the Oireach- ing the investigation outcome as with encouraging others to sup- Susan Keegan, his former girl- tas sport committee, the board long as he co-operated. He had to port Isis, which is an offence under friend, which she denies receiving. considered asking for advice on return his credit card and all elec- Irish law. FAI board members were told the whether Delaney’s actions tronic devices. He also agreed not It is unclear whether Smith, who list was “non-exhaustive”. amounted to misconduct. to attend Abbotstown, the FAI HQ, served with the Irish Defence For- Delaney went on leave on April On April 15, at an emergency or contact any staff or supporters. ces, can be prosecuted for offences 15 after stories in The Sunday meeting at the Carlton hotel by Aidan Eames, Delaney’s solici- she may have committed in the Times documented how €40,000 Dublin Airport, the FAI president tor, declined to comment on Syrian city of Raqqa and the town was incurred on his FAI credit card Donal Conway told the board the Friday. The FAI said it did not com- of Baghouz because of lack of evi- in the last six months of 2016 and executive vice-president was enti- ment on any individual employee. dence. However, this may change if how €8,000 was paid by the FAI to tled to six weeks’ notice and 10 There is no suggestion that information is obtained by the FBI, cover a 2015 bill for a stay in a New weeks holiday pay if he was “let Goodwin, who has represented which has taken the jihadist’s DNA York Ritz-Carlton hotel. go”. Conway further warned that both the FAI and Delaney, did and fingerprints. Delaney’s 50th birthday cele- Delaney could possibly pursue the anything wrong. He did not The FBI was asked to assist the brations took place in the Mount FAI for payments he believed were respond to calls. investigation because the Ameri- Juliet golf club, Co Kilkenny, in owed to him. However, the FAI The Office of the Director of Cor- can military and allied forces are Shane Lowry salutes the crowd yesterday after a record-breaking round of eight under par helped the 2017. Among the guests were politi- could sue Delaney for any issues porate Enforcement has been operating in the region where Mullingar golfer lead by four shots going into the final day of the Open at Royal Portrush. Full story, Sport cians Alan Kelly and Michael Ring, that emerged that could result in a investigating the FAI since March. Smith was detained. The bureau declined to comment when con- tacted by The Sunday Times. Sound and Picture, an organisa- tion that documents human rights Gardai ‘tried to hack fans group’ violations in Syria, said it had sup- UK tipped to join US against Iran plied Garda Headquarters with Mark Tighe The email, which set out information showing Smith was Richard Kerbaj, Andrew Gilligan its tankers, with more than $100m The UK defence secretary, security arrangements and threat INDEX involved in the Hisbah, an extrem- and Caroline Wheeler of oil on board, off Gibraltar 2½ Penny Mordaunt, said Montrose Gardai tried to “hack” into a social assessments ahead of the FAI ist branch of Isis that enforced weeks ago. On Friday, Revolution- was an hour away from the Impero media group used by Ireland foot- hosting the draw for the Euro 2020 Lottery News 2 moral codes through violence. Britain may join the US in an inter- ary Guards soldiers seized British- when it was seized. ball supporters last year over con- qualifiers and a Uefa meeting in the Weather News 19 The group has also accused national force to escort vessels flagged tanker Stena Impero, in an It can also be revealed that in cerns they were planning a protest Shelbourne hotel in Dublin, was Letters News 14 Smith of involvement in the al- through the Strait of Hormuz after action Hunt yesterday called April, Britain withdrew two Royal against John Delaney, according to copied in to Emma English, Del- Khansaa brigade, which ensured its ministers were accused of not “totally and utterly unacceptable”. Navy Wildcat helicopters, which the FAI’s head of security. aney’s girlfriend at the time. Sudoku Money 18 that women dressed appropriately doing enough to protect UK ships. Britain has only one warship, were based close by in Oman and In correspondence sent by Joe The email sets out how the FAI and were always accompanied by Guarding ships in convoys is HMS Montrose, in the Gulf to cover provided surveillance of the strait McGlue, the FAI’s security chief, to provided up to three security men men. Many foreign women being considered after a former UK the 90-mile strait. However, the for hostile Iranian activity. It said Delaney, then FAI chief executive, to shadow Delaney during the became members of this brigade. cabinet minister said the foreign British government has not orga- they were “no longer needed”. last November 30, McGlue claimed day’s events in Dublin. McGlue Sound and Picture has also secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and Ther- nised for civilian UK ships to sail Admiral Lord West, a former that a “protest” WhatsApp group said that there would be “a very accused Smith of being involved in esa May had been distracted by the through the strait at fixed times, first sea lord, said ministers had set up by Tommy Shields or Zeno discreet presence” by one body- the Anwar al-Awlaki brigade, Conservative leadership contest when the frigate could be on hand been attempting “gunboat diplo- Kelly, two long-time Ireland sup- guard in the Shelbourne. another branch of Isis established and “taken their eyes off the ball”. to protect them, as it did recently macy without the gunboats” and porters, had up to 12 members.