A WELL-known Irish celebrity has been arrested on suspicion of producing bogus Covid certs, it emerged last night.
The famous face was taken in for questioning this week for what gardai described as “the productions of a false instrument” last year.
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The Irish Sun can reveal the man in his 40s was arrested on Thursday and taken to a garda station in Dublin.
The household name has since been released from custody and a file is being prepared for the DPP.
The unnamed celeb is well known in showbiz circles here and abroad and his career in the spotlight has spanned several decades.
He is yet to comment publicly on the allegations.
Shocking news of the celeb’s arrest leaked late last night.
A garda spokesman told the Irish Sun: “Gardaí carrying out investigations into the productions of a false instrument in May 2021 arrested a man in his 40s yesterday.
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“He has since been released without charge with a file being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.”
The use of a fraudulent certificate is an offence under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Offenders may also be guilty of a separate, recently introduced, offence of using a fake Covid cert, which carries a maximum €2,000 fine.
EU vaccine certs came into effect last summer and they were a requirement for entry in hospitality settings, such as pubs, restaurants, cafes or food courts.
The need for a vaccine certs to enter hospitality entry was scrapped in the most recent lifting of Covid-19 restrictions by Government – but they are still a requirement for international travel.
Separately, late last year it emerged that fake vaccine certificates were being sold on the dark web for as much as €350 each.
