Former Fermanagh councillor to challenge fraud charges

LAWYERS for a former member of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and her husband as well as another woman, are to challenge charges of fraud and false accounting involving the Victims & Survivor Service.
Bernice Swift (55) who held the Erne West seat for 18 years, and her husband Kevin Gabriel Martin (47) from Glenlevan Road, Derrygonnelly along with Roisin Conlon (47) from Landbrock Road, Newtownbutler are each charged with 14 counts of fraud by abuse of position and six counts of false accounting.
It is alleged the three defendants abused their positions by acting against the financial interests of the Victims and Survivors Service by claiming cheques were paid out to persons for travel expenses and for goods and services including a residential stay in Armagh City Hotel, McPhillips Digital Media, Armagh Graphics, Fitzpatrick Fuels, Active Office Support, Office and Educational Supplies, and G&A Travel.
It is further alleged they furnished information or made use of a certain record or document required for accounting purposes knowing it was or might be misleading, false or deceptive namely receipts for a stay at the Armagh City Hotel and three stays at the Westport Hotel.
There are also two counts for the same charges involving quotations that were allegedly produced as opposed to receipts for stays at Hodson Bay Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel.
The offences are alleged to have occurred on various dates between 27 November 2018 and 5 September 2019.
All three have been returned for trial at Dungannon Crown Court where their explained challenges are to be mounted to some of the evidence contending it does not meet the required threshold for prosecution.
The specifics of this cannot be published at this stage.
Judge Brian Sherrard adjourned the case until next week when a date is to be fixed for No Bill hearings.
In the meantime all accused were remanded on £300 bail each.
News originally broke of former independent councillor Bernice Swift’s arrest in November 2020 when police confirmed she and her husband had been detained on suspicion of fraud.
They were later released on bail.
When contacted at the time then-councillor Bernice Swift said, “I cannot comment on any alleged arrests. There remains an ongoing investigation.”
Ahead of the last council elections in 2023, Ms Swift announced she would not be seeking re-election to her Erne West seat, which she had held for 18 years, and was leaving the political scene to take on a new role.
She was replaced on the Ballot Paper by Paul McGoldrick but he failed to retain the seat which was instead taken by Sinn Fein.