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AN African asylum seeker who stole over €100,000 in jobseekers' and rent allowances over a five-year period has been jailed for three years.

Elmuatasim Mohammed (45), a Somali national who was granted asylum in Ireland, admitted to stealing a total of €112,000 from 2007 to 2012.

Judge Sean O'Donnabhain jailed Mohammed for three years after saying he was a very intelligent man who, after being granted asylum, focused his attention on how to best exploit the Irish social welfare allowance regime.

"He has amassed in excess of €112,000 from the Irish State, which he now has no way of paying back," he added.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Mohammed, who has addresses in Cork, Waterford and Antrim, had also obtained a false Dutch identity in the name of Bartave in an attempt to get his wife to Ireland.

She was killed in Somalia before he was able to arrange for her to be brought to Ireland and Mohammed subsequently married another woman and used the Bartave identity to bring her to Ireland. He claimed allowances in Waterford and Cork before he was caught.

Irish Independent