A Nigerian man based in London, who has been charged in connection with an €800,000 fraud and related money laundering, was travelling to Dublin every week to claim social welfare payments, a court has been told.
Olatunde Salawe, a father of seven, has been charged as part of a Garda National Economic Crime Bureau investigation into the use of AI-generated fake documents to secure over a hundred credit cards, reports RTE.
The 47-year-old, who has no fixed address in London, faces a money laundering charge dated September 16, 2025, relating to the possession of €3,300 believed to be proceeds of crime. He is also charged with possessing a false instrument from April 2025.
Additionally, Mr Salawe is accused of eight counts of theft of €254 on separate dates between November 2025 and March 2026, reports RTE.
He was denied bail when he appeared before Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court.
During the hearing, GNECB Detective Shane Devereux said the accused was arrested on Thursday morning after getting off a Ryanair flight.
He was subsequently brought to Ballymun Garda Station, where he was detained, questioned, and formally charged, reports RTE.
Detective Garda Devereux told the court that the accused did not respond to the charges when they were put to him.
It was alleged in court that Mr Salawe used AI-generated documents to apply for 145 credit cards, leading to losses of €804,000 for a financial institution, reports RTE.
Gardaí also claimed that he had been travelling to Ireland weekly from September to March to collect Jobseeker’s Allowance payments he was not entitled to receive.
The court was told that although the accused does not have a fixed address in Ireland, he does hold an Irish passport, reports RTE.
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau objected to bail, arguing that the accused poses a flight risk due to limited ties to Ireland and access to false documentation.
Defence barrister Greg Murphy, instructed by solicitor Peter Keatings, rejected this claim, saying his client has strong connections in Ireland, including friends in Dublin and two adult children living in the country, reports RTE.
The detective responded that while in custody, the accused chose to contact his mother in Nigeria instead of reaching out to relatives in Ireland when given the opportunity to make a phone call.
He also stated that some of the accused’s associates in Dublin are currently under investigation, reports RTE.
The defence highlighted that Mr Salawe has no prior convictions and no record of failing to attend court when required.
Counsel further argued that the charges currently before the court relate only to €3,300 in alleged criminal proceeds, eight thefts of €254 each, and the possession of false documents, reports RTE.
The defence maintained that the accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence and suggested the case could be handled at District Court level.
However, the GNECB detective indicated that a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to bringing more serious charges, reports RTE.
Judge Finan noted that she could only consider the charges presently before the court at this stage.
The accused, who did not give evidence during the bail hearing, was granted legal aid and remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday, reports RTE.
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