McGeever faked kidnapping

McGeever faked kidnapping


Áine Ryan
aineryan@mayonews.ie

THE MYSTERY around the disappearance of Swinford native Kevin McGeever has taken another twist with gardaí now saying that the Swinford-born property developer made up the entire story of his bizarre kidnapping. Sixty eight year-old McGeever, who was arrested by Gort gardaí on Thursday last on suspicion of wasting police time, may now face prosecution.
Reportedly he told detectives that he faked his kidnapping because dozens of disgruntled investors were pursuing him for his failure to make returns of hundreds of thousands in deposits they paid for Dubai properties that may not have existed, or he didn’t even own. Reports confirm that ‘at least’ 50 people invested between €100,000 and €1 million in a development that was never completed, while some investors clam he sold the same property to several different investors and, in some cases, marketed fictitious properties. 
It has also emerged that a judgement was registered against him in the High Court before his disappearance.
The strange saga of Kevin McGeever’s disappearance became public after he was found wandering on a remote road near Ballinamore in County Leitrim in a dishevelled and apparently disorientated state on the night of January 29. He subsequently told gardaí he had been kidnapped by armed and masked men eight months earlier at his mansion, called Nirvana, near Craughwell, and held in a lorry container, which was buried underground.
It has now emerged, however, that he faked the kidnapping and, with the help of unnamed friends, was instead hiding out in a remote house somewhere near the Galway/Mayo border. The precise location where he hid has not been identified yet by gardaí.
From the outset gardaí were suspicious about inconsistencies in the story of his abduction. Doctors who treated him at the Regional Hospital in Mullingar found his bodily functions to be normal and that he was mentally well for a person who had been held against his will for such a long period. 
Moreover, there has been some speculation that he returned from hiding due to the ongoing serious illness of his partner, SióbhΡn O’Callaghan. McGeever is not only now facing financial ruin but also possible extradition to the United Arab Emirates, where he faces fraud allegations.

HAVE YOUR SAY email aineryan@mayonews.ie with your comments