Con Artists......Just think of the furture brides and no wedding dresses or trips to New York

international | crime and justice | opinion/analysis Friday April 14, 2006 20:55 by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics

for Diamond engagement rings. What a pretty picture? The castle, the exhorbitant cost, the wedding gown, the accessories etc. etc.

What is worse is the element of trust that is breached. Why do people do such things to other people. Is the motive purely money or is there a hidden inadequacy and jealousy with them.

Has anyone ever been conned? Years ago when there was less access to media and press coverage there was a kind of human connection network that kept people informed and warned.

Joe Duffy is the Man who keeps the tradition of the past, out there and discussed but we need more.

Last week Joe pulled an excellent and important piece of informative data. It comes back to people in country with a healthy suspicion who get the sniff of something being slightly off. A husband and wife met a man on a country road.....they spoke to him and they just did not feel confident about what he was telling them. Then a third party joined them and as he began to move on, he quickly turned and took a photograph of them.

Again the woman was thinking, she took the registration of the car, the make, the colour. They basically got the brush off from the local Gardai. But this woman did not stop there. She checked out the registration, she sourced the car to a garage in Sligo and got the name of the man i.e. the Christian name. The best part of the story was the telling, the coaxing and the revelations that emerged from the deep end of what is murky about investigation.

Yes, he was a Private Investigator......She had no reason to suspect this and didn't appear to.

The answers flowed in. I never realised just how healthy the Private Investigator business is in Ireland. A leading investigator named Flynn spoke of easy ways of sourcing information particularly given the early retirement age of Gardai and the number who become investigators and the links they have by default. Just look up the web and some even have offices on Harcourt Street.

Minister Mc'Dowell - where is the regulation? Have we forgotten in Ireland about 'Conflict of Interest'. Does this explain why sourcing information about fraudsters and people's former police records is virtually impossible for the ordinary punter and particularly those who are vulnerable?

This is a hidden cash cow for members of the Force and it is a really challenge to their continued ethical responsibilities. The Checks and Balances that are required for our Democracy need to ripple through all government bodies and particularly our Gardai.

I would suggest the Civic Guards that failed in the 1920's, again in the 1940's i.e. An taca, will fail again. Suspicion will be fostered and it will not work. The 'Bullying' will only become worse and divisive.

Perhaps we ought to go the opposite way towards tightening laws relating to Ethics, Governance, in relation to Charities - making offences similar to Federal law charges and sentences.. To do this, perhaps we need to go the English route (PSNI) and source M!5 and M!6 calibre people as Prime Minister Blair has decided to do to create a crack team like the FBI. We sure need someone given Terrorism and our Shannon issue.

Has anyone heard of Tom the Con?....a man who in the year 2000 was extensively spoken about by people on the Joe Duffy show, in the papers. Bed and Breakfasts and no payment was his favorite scam. Has anyone heard if he is back?....apparently there was an article published last June that his trade is now in Bible's.

Again this would target vulnerable people and particularly the aged who would give bibles to their grandchildren particularly. Who cares? We need to follow British example here and have a programme like Watchdog.

A people network is needed on this topic and contributions need to be seen from the workings of the the Gardai on these matters. To me it appears now that if you have money you have the option of the private investigator at a charge of 400 euros a day.......otherwise you remain vulnerable in the mire. We need at all times to beware of the vested interest and my reading of Joe Duffy's programme last week is that there are lot of investigators with their hands in the honey jar.

Minister McDowell, on this topic. Corporate Governance, Ethics, and Charities. I am delighted to hear that Trinity, like UCD are to turn their attention to Ethics - and not before time.

For years, we have been told that Charity and charitable organisations will be in line for major reform. It is severely in need of attention. Atlantic philantropics and Chuck Feeney created a huge issue when Frank Connolly was found to be connected with him. The problem related I think to his connection with Sinn Fein. What did surprise me was the abuse of Dail Privilege and the fact that a pretty Strong Conflict of Interests was not stated at the same time. I believe Professor Niamh Brennan is involved in running Corporate Governance in UCD. Now that Transparency International have linked with BBS Trinity, a competitive factor exists.

The question I want to know is why people like Mr. O'Shea from Goal and other charities are crying out for proper legislation. They deem the situation so weak that they feel many people who ordinarily would contribute to charity, don't.

Noel Smyth is setting the pace for philantrophy and the Children's hospital. I hope our legislation is not so loose that we will be the creators of of future tribunals related to charity breaches.....

Michelle Clarke