Tullamore court returns €20,000 to woman facing deportation

A woman subject to a deportation order appeared at last week's district court in a civil case relating to a sum of money which Gardai believed was obtained illegally.

In her evidence a Garda immigration officer said that on March 12 last, a search of a premises on High Street, Tullamore identified a woman who was the subject of a deportation order.

Youqing Wu was lodged at Dochas Women's Prison subject to a deportation order. When she was placed in custody she advised prison officers that she had a large amount of cash in her luggage and €20,000 was located. The money was seized in the belief that it was obtained by illegal means as Ms Wu had no evidence of employment or social welfare. The court heard she was not in receipt of entitlements as she was not legally with revenue.

Solicitor Patrick Martin said the money was Ms Wu's life savings. He said she had applied in 2023 for asylum in Ireland, but was unsuccessful. She worked as a cleaner in houses when she could get work, he said.

Judge Andrew Cody said she had to be able to establish ownership of the money. Ms Wu was called to the witness stand and sworn in along with her Mandarin Interpreter. The Judge asked her how much money she had when she arrived in Ireland. She answered that she had a couple of hundred. He then asked how she earned the €20,000, Ms Wu said she cleaned and worked in restaurants.

Judge Cody referred to a High Court decision which had determined that a District Court erred in its decision regarding the seizure of money by the Gardaí. It found that the District Court's decision to refuse the return of seized money was incorrect.

He said there was hardly any evidence that the money was obtained through illegal means and he was satisfied Ms Wu owned the cash. He ordered the money to be returned to her.

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