South Kerry siblings sentenced for fraud in US

The former CEO of Navillus has been given six months in prison for his role in a scheme that New York prosecutors say cheated construction unions out of more than $1 million.

Donal O’Sullivan was sentenced on Friday and ordered to report to prison on November 13. His sister, Helen O’Sullivan, the former treasurer at the company, was given two years of probation while former comptroller, Padraig Naughton, faces one year in prison. The aforementioned were convicted in October 2021 on multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, embezzlement from employee benefits funds, submission of false remittance reports to union benefits funds and conspiracy to commit those crimes.

The sentences were handed down through the judge after the court found that the unions lost out on $1.2 million.

“The sentences reflect the Court’s understanding of the context of the case given Donal and Helen’s lifelong service to others,” Ilene Jaroslaw, an attorney for O’Sullivan, said in a statement.

“Both Donal and Helen are fundamentally good people who still have more to contribute to the good of society.”

Senior RTÉ reporter forced to work in toilet

In the never ending RTÉ sage, a senior reporter had to do live on-air interviews from cafe toilets in London due to cost cutting measures, at the same time as the broadcaster were paying thousands of euros a year for membership of a private members’ club there.

New revelations on spending this week also showed that RTE splashed out €5K on 200 pairs of Havaianas flip flops and €2K on balloons for a summer party for “agencies and clients."

Last week it was revealed that thousands more were spent on events including €13,000 on Bruce Springsteen tickets for an agency event, €1,300 for 20 clients at an Amy Schumer show, €23,000 for “EU football finals”, €3,076 on House of Fraser vouchers, €2,770 for Ireland v England Six Nations rugby, €4,568 listed as “alcohol” with no description and €769 at the Other Voices festival.

The scandal shows no sign of letting up with the Chair of the board Siún Ní Raghallaigh coming out on Wednesday and saying confidence in the RTÉ Executive has been eroded and there "is a high probability that more information will emerge in the days and weeks ahead".

Mexico mayor marries alligator

found in Mexico and Central and South America.

The traditional ceremony, which has been held for 230 years, commemorates the peace between the Chontal and Huave indigenous groups, with the mayor, representing the Chontal king, marrying the reptile, symbolising a Huave princess, in a union of the two communities.

Local tradition calls the caiman the “princess girl”, with the mayor saying during the ritual: “I accept responsibility because we love each other. That is what is important. You can’t have a marriage without love… I yield to marriage with the princess girl.”