Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould has said that he is “entirely innocent” after being arrested for an alleged business fraud from over a decade ago.

Deputy Gould was arrested on Friday, and it has since emerged that Sinn Féin Cork City Councillor Kenneth Collins was also arrested and questioned in relation to the investigation.

At present, there have been no charges brought forth against either of the men, who have both professed their innocence in the matter.

Deputy political editor of the Irish Examiner Paul Hosford told Newstalk Breakfast that Sinn Féin was informed of the proceedings sometime in January of this year.

“The party says that [Deputy Gould] informed them in late January that this complaint had been made, or that there was some element of this complaint coming,” he said.

“He told them two weeks ago that he was due to speak to Gardaí and then he told them on Thursday night that he would be arrested by appointment on Friday for questioning in relation to this complaint.

“It stems from a former employer of his, somebody who he was employed by prior to his 2020 election as a Deputy for Cork North Central.”

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould speaking to media on the Plinth outside Leinster House. Photograph: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie. 12/01/2022

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Michael Healy-Rae has called for party leader Mary Lou McDonald to address the Dáil on the matter.

However, Mr Hosford said that the issue will likely cause a “problem politically” for Sinn Féin.

“I think the reality of it is that when something is an active Garda investigation, sometimes from a political point of view, it is the best answer that you can give is that it’s with the Gardaí,” he said.

“There’s nothing more you can say because it allows you not to answer a question or to go any further or risk going any further.

“So, I think that answer, you know, ‘This is in the hands of the Guards’ is probably the answer that you will hear for the next couple of months.

“But I don’t think it will stop people making that political hay out of it while it’s there to be gotten at.”

Timing

According to Mr Hosford, Deputy McDonald will likely face questions about when exactly she was informed of the investigation.

“The Sinn Féin statement says that Mary Lou McDonald, or the party leadership, was informed of this, or some flavour of this, in late January,” he said.

“Sinn Féin announced its spokespeople at the end of January – now, Thomas Gould is not a member of the Sinn Féin front bench, but he is their junior spokesperson on housing.

“He continued on that role, there was no real shake up in that role, the party says he kind of continued it on.

“But the question is if Mary Lou McDonald knew that he was facing something like this, did she allow him to continue in a spokesperson role, albeit a junior one?”

However, Mr Hosford said that it is a tricky situation for the party, as “any decision they make could be taken one way or another” after the investigation concludes.

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Main image: 08/09/2021 Covid-19 Pandemic (Coronavirus), Ireland. Day 532 since start of lockdown. Day 122 of eased restrictions.Pictured is Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking to the media on the Plinth at Leinster House today. Photo:Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie