Emails sent to the College Tribune in the early hours of Sunday morning allege that former LawSoc auditor, Kieran McCarthy, forged signatures on cheques relating to the society’s activities.
In an email sent from Mr McCarthy to a senior law lecturer on 11th July 2011, the former auditor “unreservedly” apologises for forging his signature on a number of cheques “signed in one go”. Mr McCarthy states that he required money to pay for the society’s trip to the European Debating Championships in May and he “saw no other way around” forging the signature of the lecturer on the cheque in “a moment of stress”.
Mr McCarthy says in his email to that “no malice” was intended by his actions and he “lost sight of which rules should always be maintained, even under
pressure and regardless of good intention.”
In a separate email seen by the Tribune dated 11th July 2011, a former auditor of LawSoc discusses details of a meeting held by a number of the society’s former auditors over the audit of the society’s finances that is currently taking place. According to the email, the group was aware of Mr McCarthy’s actions. “In respect of the cheque signatures, the matter is more serious…there remains an allegation that your better judgment let you down while writing a cheque in May and, for our part, we will have to investigate and disclose to the powers that be whatever transpires.”
Mr McCarthy was urged to speak to Societies Officer, Richard Butler, and “come clean about any such indiscretions.”
There is no suggestion of wilful wrongdoing or misappropriation of funds at this time.
