Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL ) welcomes An Garda Síochána’s examination of OSSL’s allegations that €35,000 worth of alcohol was delivered to Belmullet Garda Station in December 2007.
This allegation was first raised in the context of a contractual dispute in 2010 following the termination of OSSL’s original contract. OSSL was a contractor employed by the Corrib gas project from 2005 to 2010 to provide personal protective safety equipment and to perform and co-ordinate small-scale contracting works, as a sub-contractor to a main contractor.
A statement from SEPIL states: “The invoices for alleged alcohol deliveries in 2007 were not generated by OSSL until August 24, 2012 following the settlement of the contractual dispute earlier the same month. To date, OSSL have not been able to supply receipts or any form of written evidence to support their claims.”
Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington noting that the alcohol was brought in from Northern Ireland said: “It seems that Shell are intent to pay absolutely no tax in the State whatsoever, as even this alcohol was smuggled across the border. As well as the issue of alcohol-fueled police violence in the Shell/Corrib project, this raises serious issues for the auditors of Shell E&P Ireland, Royal Dutch Shell and their respective regulatory bodies.”
In conclusion, SEPIL says it is “satisfied that the allegations made by OSSL have been investigated and no evidence has been found to substantiate them. We hope An Garda Síochána’s involvement will bring this matter to an end”.
