Offaly 'fraudster' facing jail for Covid scam says he didn't understand court proceedings

A MAN who was assisted by a Romanian language interpreter has said he did not understand court proceedings when he pleaded guilty to making false statements to receive pandemic unemployment payments (PUP).

On February 18 Dumitru Beschea, The Oak, Granary Court, Edenderry appeared before Tullamore District Court by video link having previously been remanded in custody.

At that sitting of the court defence counsel Paul Noctor, BL, entered a plea of guilty to six summonses from the Minister for Social Protection which alleged he made a number of false statements to receive a benefit or allowance.

Mr Noctor said that while Mr Beschea was pleading guilty, he disputed the value of the payments the State said he had received.

After details of the alleged offences and the amount of money involved, €7,100, were outlined to the court, Judge Andrew Cody adjourned finalisation of the matter for a week to February 25 so the accused could be brought to court in person but warned Mr Beschea that he was facing a “substantial prison sentence”.

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On February 25 the man was present and on that occasion was represented by his solicitor, Brian Duffy, who had previously instructed Mr Noctor on the matter.

Mr Duffy told Judge Cody the accused was now saying that he had not pleaded guilty a week earlier.

Sandra Mahon, Offaly State Solicitor, told the court there had been a plea and Judge Cody pointed out that Mr Beschea had the assistance of his counsel and an interpreter.

Mr Duffy said he had repeated the consequences of a change of plea “four times” to his client and explained to him that following his plea of guilty the next step was to speak to him about mitigation in advance of sentence.

The judge said he would hear the accused if he wanted to set aside his plea.

After being sworn in and assisted by an interpreter, Mr Beschea was told by his solicitor that he would be concerned if the man would not accept he had received PUP payments, given that there were bank accounts showing them.

Mr Beschea told the court that the previous week he thought he was being accused “of a much smaller amount” in between two and four payments.

“Initially when I was brought here I had no idea of what I was being accused of,” said the man.

Ms Mahon handed a letter into the court which she said was available to the defence a week earlier and Judge Cody said that information was also given to a different solicitor who was representing Mr Beschea last year.

Ms Mahon put it to Mr Beschea that separate from the matter of the PUP, he had made payments in relation to Job Seekers benefit which he had not been entitled to and perhaps he was confusing the Job Seekers and Covid payments.

Mr Beschea said he had been unemployed and now he realised the difference between the two payments.

He accepted he had been working at Rosderra Meats from June 25, 2018 to January 15, 2023.

Ms Mahon said he made a claim for the Covid PUP payment on June 8, 2020.

Replying to a question from the judge, Mr Beschea said he accepted receiving payments but disputed the amount of money he was paid.

Judge Cody let the matter stand for a period and when it was recalled Mr Duffy said he would be seeking copies of his client's bank statements.

Judge Cody remanded Mr Beschea in custody to March 13 next for production of the bank statements.

At the appearance by video link on February 18 Mr Beschea was told by the judge that PUP payments which had been received while he was working full-time in Rosderra had been outstanding for six years.

Judge Cody also said the man had not turned up in court on four occasions in four years and several bench warrants were issued.

The court further heard that a recent warrant was executed while he was in receipt of Job Seekers and a garda saw him wearing a high vis vest and was told by Mr Beschea's boss, who acted as a translator, that he was working for him.

The accused told the court it was his “first day” and it was just to see if he was suitable for the job or not. The man also said he would pay money back weekly or monthly in relation to the PUP payments.

Ms Mahon said the maximum penalties which the court could apply were a fine of €2,500 and six months in prison for each of the six offences.

She detailed that the man applied online for PUP in June 2020, stating his last day of work was May 29, 2020 and he received his first payment on June 5.

That initial claim stopped on August 8, 2020 and he claimed for a second time using a different email address.

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He was then paid PUP from August 14 to October 29, 2020 and that payment was stopped when “a review was carried out by a social welfare inspector on all employees in Rosderra Irish Meats” and it transpired Mr Beschea was in full-time employment.

The man made a third application on November 10 using different bank details and that claim was stopped.

He then made a claim on November 18, and four more between December 1, 2020 and March 18, 2021 but none of those were successful

Ms Mahon said that in total he made eight claims and payments were made for three. Of the €7,100 he received, €6,454.40 was outstanding.

The State Solicitor added that Mr Beschea had no previous convictions and said the Department of Social Protection was unaware of the man working since 2021.

Mr Beschea told the court he had worked since 2021 in the Rosderra meat factory.

Judge Cody said he would allow the man's solicitor to take further instructions from him but added: “Mr Beschea is only what can be described as an inveterate fraudster.”

The judge said the man “clearly knew” he was not entitled to the benefits and he intended to impose a prison sentence on February 25.