Reports indicate Kevin McGeever may have been kidnapped by Russian gangsters over money he owed them.
An Irish businessman who disappeared in May, 2012, was found this week wandering barefoot and disheveled on a remote country road in Co Leitrim, in the Republic of Ireland, near the Ulster border. According to the Daily Mail, 68-year-old Kevin McGreever, who was a property developer during the economic boom in Ireland from 1995 to 2007, claims he was “kidnapped and tortured by Russian gangsters and the IRA.” McGeever sold properties and luxury homes in Dubai to his wealthy British and Irish clients.
According to The Guardian, McGeever, who was reported missing by his partner Siobhán O’Callaghan last may, told authorities that he was “abducted by three masked and armed men” from his mansion in Galway, Ireland. His partner told authorities that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom, but McGeever is not aware if it had ever been paid. McGeever claims to have been held in a cargo container for months, and his appearance appears to support that claim. When he was found he was emaciated, with long hair, a long beard, and three-inch fingernails. He also had the word “thief” carved into his forehead, apparently with a penknife, although authorities state that he was so dirty and disheveled the carving was not noticed at first.
Catherine Vallely, the woman who found him on the road and took him to the local authorities, said McGeever told her he had been “thrown from a van” by three men. Although it is unclear why, his captors also gave him a cell phone before throwing him onto the road and told him to keep it on his person at all times. Vallely said he was “very well-educated, well-spoken and polite.”
McGeever is being treated at Mullingar General Hospital for both dehydration and malnutrition. Police say he will remain in the hospital, under armed guard, indefinitely. They also state that they are investigating “every aspect” of this bizarre case, but are not yet able to either confirm or deny any of the claims made by McGeever.
UPDATE: According to the Independent police sources are now saying that Mr. McGeever “has not nominated any suspects” in his abduction, countering earlier reports that he claimed to have been taken by Russian gangsters and the IRA. They also say that the inscription on his forehead, which was originally thought to have been carved with a penknife, was in fact written with ink that should fade over time. Sources say he has been interviewed by detectives, but that he is “still confused since his ordeal and that his recall is vague.
Thank you to @NiamhNic for the lead on the update.
Photo: YouTube