Robert Troy - Property Mogul

Thread title here is more appropriate. I heard his first defence on the radio and thought it reasonable enough, selling at a loss to facilitate local housing etc etc

But since then, a whole lot more colour & queries have been added.

This man is a senior elected public representative. And he's basically involved in property speculation, churning and flipping properties bought at good prices.

With his sort of contacts, both at the purchasing end and the potential LA purchasers - really he should be kicked out of office. It's not as if he's not underpaid as a public rep and anyway if he's doing that job properly, how would he have time to be in the property churning business???

You'd wonder how Barry Cowen and Dara Calleary feel about it (2 FF TDs who lost their ministerial posts earlier in this government over transgressions)

No state is capable of providing housing when the idea of housing everyone has become a money making exercise for those who espouse said ideology.

While this lad is a snake there is a danger rhetoric around these day.

1) Landlord are evil and to blame for housing shortage

2) farmers are evil and to blame for climate change and foot price increases

3) energy companies are evil etc. and to be blamed for climate change

try living with out any of the above…..supply and demand.

`He paid 82,500, spent 44,500 on refurbishments and then sold at a 36,000 profit. so, yes, he did (almost) double the purchase price but he did that by investing additional money on refurbishments. Also, given the low purchase price the property was probably not inhabitable so therefore not eligible for a mortgage. Houses that are cash only sell for lower prices because of the reduced pool of purchases. After refurbishment it would be mortgageable so that increases the pool of purchasers. None of this is in any way remarkable.

i've no idea, I don't know the man. Perhaps he has good contacts in the building trade. Either way nothing that justifies an accusation of money laundering.

that's just politics these days find a bogeyman and blame them. depressing

The guy is a shyster no doubt but he could be a one man answer to the crisis. Taking an unhabitable house and turning it around in 3 months for coco to put in people off housing list. Kudos.

If the coco were responsible it'd probably be 3 years.

No issue with the profit motive here at all imo. Private landlords are needed as part of a solution. His hiding all his shenanigans and bending the truth is the issue and properly ousted.

even if the purchase by the CoCo was done at mates rates it doesn't make it money laundering.

I've been convinced you don't know what it is from your first post. Nothing you posted since has changed my mind.

Calleary's transgression was very minor.

Cowen, on the other hand, was related to being economical with the truth relating to his drink driving.

It was compounded by the further 'revelation' that he had been driving illegally (unaccompanied & on motorways) for decades on a provisional licence. Cowen then disputed the garda version of events relating to him turning away from the checkpoint where he was caught being over the limit. Cowen states specifically that he was never charged with evading a checkpoint - which is factually correct but it does not necessarily mean he didn't turn away from a checkpoint. He would not face questions on the issue before the Daily on it, as he stated it would conflict with ongoing processes, which left his position untenable.

Okay I thought money laundering was using illegally obtained money and putting it into the income stream of a legitimate business to make it clean.

Am I wrong?

To me, from the information I have seen, this sounds like potentially a case of corruption, of profiting from tax payers money. I don't see where the dirty money is?