Sinn Féin TD says he was shocked by failures at liquidated charity

Liberty Recycling has gone into liquidation, costing 100 people their jobs, after gardaí raided its Dublin headquarters as part of an investigation into a suspected money-laundering operation. The charity’s trustees face criticism from the Charities Regulator over governance failures, though the regulator has not linked them to the suspected criminal organisation.

Treasurer and trustee Linda Behan, who also worked as the chief executive’s assistant, declined to comment when approached. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, who chaired the charity for about four and a half years, said he was shocked by the emerging issues and accepted the regulator’s criticism; he also said his signature had been forged on a letter. Changes to the board after the previous chair’s death in February 2022 were recorded eight months later and backdated, while several companies set up at the charity’s headquarters are under investigation. The case is next due in court at the end of November.