A TOP Irish businessman duped by kidnapped tycoQn
Kevin McGeever has said: "Yes, he got money out of me. If he told you it was raining, you'd need to go to the window to check." Pitstop Distribution Ltd boss John Joe Plunkett invested in one of McGeever's Dubai apartment complexes, and.lost a "significant" amount as a result. ' The self-made Co. Cavan man, who runs a number of companies and also owns the Athlone Tyre Depot, said: "1 involved with him 10 years ago. 1 bought in on good faith, because he convinced me it was a sure thing and that the apartments would double their value in a few years. "But he was triple selling the same properties. When I found out what he was up to- I followed him out to Dubai to try and pin him down and get my money back.
"Every day the hotel would fill with more Irish arriving out there trying to find him to get their money back," added Plunkett, who is also chair-man of Mulahoran GAA club in Kilcogy, Co, Cavan.
ReCovering -McGeever (68), was picked up wandering on the road in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, by 'former Sinn Fein electoral candidate Catherine Vallely and her partner'. Patrick Rehill on January 29.He remains in Mullingar General Hospital recovering from his ordeal and has been questioned a number of times by gardai. It's believed he may be released from hospital,tomorrow.
The dazed multi-millionaire initially claimed the IRA and Russian mafia had kid- napped him and held him hostage in a container for eight months, but later con-fided to his family he didn't know who'd abducted him.
He also said his captors had demanded a €10million ransom, and robbed €80,000 from his accounts. But prior to van-ishing, he sent two texts from a German and UK phone to his terminally-ill partner Siobhan O'Callaghan, apologising that he had to leave.
The man McGeever phpned last week to come and rescue him, John McNevin - who runs,a tyre business in Co Westmeath - told the Sunday World: "I'm his friend. I went to pick him up and the guards said hes in a bad way and,
had to go to hospital."I was shocked when I saw him. He'd lost half his body weight. I haven't a clue who held, him hostage. He didn't even know where he was."
McN evin said he couldn't clarify how the word 'thief'was imprinted on McGeever's head, saying: "He had a cap on when I met him and he hasn't 'taken it off in the hospital since."
A well-placed source told the Sunday World the slur had been tattooed with "indelible ink".
Asked about his pal's mental state, McNevin added: "As the fella says, 'do the sums'he was held for eight
months!"
Respected -One former pal/of McGeever, a well-respected sportsman who shared a common interest in Formula One racing, gave the Sunday World a rare insight into what makes McGeever tick: "I've known him since he was young, but I never knew him, if you know-what I mean. "He was always a WaIter Mitty character. I kept in contact with him over the years and visited him in Dubai because he was so entertaining. He's a real charmer, but I
never believed half of the things he told me. '
"He used to say he had a private jet and a fleet of pilots on call, but the pair of us got stuck in theUi; once and we, had- to geta Ryanair flight back. ,
"He would fly people out to ,Dubai when they were considering buying property off him, and he reeled them in because he appeared so wealthy. He always had the best cars, expensive watches and clothes. Even back in the 1970s he drove an E-type Jag."I heard he married in Australia or America; but when he moved back to Ireland as a base he was driving a Golf for a while, Then the money started pouring in again and he was, talking about buying a stately home. ' "He was very convincing and affable and the reason he managed to dupe some astute businessmen is because he was also very .clever, "In all our conversations over the years, I never under-stood what he was involved in, or how he made his money.
Suspected -"It's hard to explain why I stayed friendly with him, but he was just so colourful. I thought he was a complete fantasist but it was all very entertaining. He said he'd got a doctorate from a university in the States and he was talk-· ing about buying a Premier League club - QPR. I took it all with a heavy pinch of salt."
And McGeever's pal said the selfstyled tycoon had also changed his name from 'Kevin McKeever'.
"I always knew him as Kevin Mclceever, He didn't build - the house in Craughwell, Co. Galway', the bank sold it to him when the guy building it ran out of money. He never finished it and was living in the garage.
"For the last 18 months before he disappeared he was under significant pressure from people calling to his door demanding money they were owed. He said he'd been attacked. Yet he'd show up in mass on Sunday morning, and go to the local pub for pints "He was worried about being arrested and stopped flying to Dubai and to Gennany and the UK in the months before he disappeared because he was Worried he'd be picked up ..
"He loved Dubai, it was his playground. He loved the finer things and drove Hummers and Porsches - although they could have been leased." Another former-friend and successful businessman, who did not want to be named;recalled the point when time when buyers started realising they'd been conned. ,
"I went to his Christmas party in the Hilamar Hotel in Kinnegad, Co, Westmeath, in 2006 and there was a big row because two people there realised they'd bought the same property.
Pyramid -"Kevin used to say he'd worked for the' World Bank and a lot of people feel like complete eejits for believing him. The apartments cost around €90,000 and back then everyone thought the thing to do with your money. was buy a place in the sun.
"He paid €500 to you if you introduced someone to him who bought a property in Dubai, 'but ia effect it was a pyramid scheme because the people who got in early were able to get their money back. "You had to put 20 per cent down and three months later another 10 per cent. Then he started claiming the rules in Dubai had changed and demanded another 20 per cent. By that stage you were in so deep you had to keep going.-"He disappeared arourid the time of the Canadian Grand Prix, A lot of us believed he'd gone to Thailand because of all the trouble." The Sunday World has also confirmed that one sub-contractor on the Galway property made a complaint to gardai that he'd been assaulted by McGeever in 2011.
"He did assault me, I'm not prepared to say what he did or how much he owe's," the man stated, asking not to be named."Then he went missing which made it impossible to serve papers on him. It's all pending now he's back." "There would be a long list of people with grievances over money.They're delighted to see him back." .
Searched A garda involved in the investigation into what happened said McGeever's property had been "extensively searched" after his partner,Siobhan O'Callaghan reported him missing.Kevin's brother Brendan said Kevin looked "like a concentration camp victim".Brendan said Kevin's kidnap- pers communicated with notes and repeatedly pushed a gun to' his head:Our gaida source said all avenues are being investigated "including the possibility of an elaborate hoax".
