Gerald Moane (49) of Altawark Road, Brookeborough appeared at Omagh Crown Court, which was sitting in Newry, last Thursday where he was given a confiscation order for £392,333, which he has to pay in full within three months or will have to serve a three-and-a-half years in default. 

In a legal first for the North, HMRC also applied for a compliance order under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The compliance order gives Moane seven days to outline how he plans to pay back the money and he then has to provide the court service with updates every 14 days. Failure to comply can carry a prison sentence of up to two years.

While these confiscation orders are progressing through the court, HMRC investigators have arranged a restraint of Moane’s assets. 

Any sale of these assets will be used to fund the confiscation payment. 

A former manager of the senior Brookeborough GAA man, Moane was originally jailed in 2014 for 16 months in prison and 20 months on licence, after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The investigation revealed that he had created false invoices claiming he had bought machinery and completed farming work to fraudulently reclaim VAT.

At the time, Moane admitted 21 counts of making false tax returns over a six year period for Moane Contracts Limited at Dungannon Crown Court. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of acquiring criminal property, namely VAT from HMRC. 

Former Brookeborough GAA manager, Moane was apparently in the running for the Fermanagh job when Peter Canavan was appointed in 2012. He is also the former manager of Tyrone Ladies GAA.