Former Longford-Westmeath TD James Bannon is among 24 people who failed to fully disclose their expenses for last year’s Seanad elections according to Sipo and has had a file referred to Gardai on the matter.
Completed donation statements and certificates of monetary donations were required to be returned to the Standards Commission by 20 June last in the case of unsuccessful panel candidates.
However, SIPO alleges that it sent files to Garda Headquarters in November concerning two dozen candidates, including the former Fine Gael TD, who had failed to return the required documentation in relation to their bid to be elected to the Upper House of the Oireachtas,
The Legan native had sought election to the Seanad on the Industry and Commerce panel but was eliminated on the 23rd count.
Other documents released by SIPO last week in connection with the General Election revealed that the former TD spent over €12,000 on trying to retain his Dail seat in the February 2016 election and he also assigned over €22,000 of the statutory spending limit in writing to his party.
Shannonside FM attempted to contact Mr Bannon for comment, but he was unavailable.
