A MAURITIAN man has pleaded guilty to charges related to arranged marriages in Ireland that a court heard cost €7,000 each.

Resen Modeley (33) admitted using false documentation that was made to support “marriages of convenience.”

The case against him was adjourned at Dublin District Court for the hearing of evidence on a later date.

Modeley, with an address at Chapel Gate, St Alphonsus Road, Dublin 9, is charged with three counts of using a false instrument.

These charges, under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, state that he used false employment offer letters for a guest house at his home address on dates in April and May last year.

He is further charged with having of a stun gun disguised as a flashlight, as well as one count of cannabis possession on November 25, 2015.

A detective garda told Judge Anthony Halpin it was a “commercial enterprise” and it had cost €7,000 to arrange a marriage “by 50”.

He handed in to court a copy of the memo of an interview Modeley gave to gardai.

Judge Halpin remarked: “that’s €350 grand, isn’t it?”.

The detective said the accused indicated there were “a number of people to be paid.”

Defence solicitor Stephen O’Mahony said there were business expenses or “outlays.”

“It’s €100,000 anyway,” the judge said.

He noted that the false documents were “going to facilitate this type of marriage.”

“It sounds like a programme on the TV,” he said.

The judge decided to recuse himself from the case and adjourned it to a later date for hearing of the evidence in another court.

Mr O’Mahony said he was happy to “keep the guilty plea” on the charges.

Online Editors