A former Fine Gael deputy mayor of Dungarvan has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty on six counts of having received corrupt payments from a property developer.
Fred Forsey Junior, 43, was convicted last month of making representations to officials and members of Waterford County Council to get lands rezoned and receiving corrupt payments of €80,000.
Judge Gerard Griffin sentenced him to six years, with the final two suspended.
Statements from Forsey Jnr’s ex-wife to gardaí started the investigation.
Jenny Forsey gave evidence that her husband had told her one night that he would "get in with" the property developer he had met in the pub.
The trial had heard that a lot of the money Forsey Jnr had received was spent on refurbishing their house and on a holiday to Rome.
He consistently argued that the money was a loan and said this again in court today.
The court was told that Forsey Jnr was on Jobseeker's Allowance, but is involved in trying to develop a new company called "Big Bro Software" with a number of business people in England.
Craig Roche and Stephen Philips, who are working on the project, said the company would probably not succeed without him.
The court also heard that Forsey Jnr has no previous convictions, has three children and comes from a respectable family.
