Marian Agrios, a local election candidate in the Drogheda Rural electoral area, has this morning announced on social media that she will not be seeking votes although her name remains on the ballot papers as a Fine Gael candidate.
Any hopes held by Agrios of pursuing a career in politics took a big knock last night after it was revealed that she and her husband Demetrios had demanded, and received, payment to withdraw a planning objection they had lodged against a housing development beside their luxury home in Termonfeckin.
The damning revelation was published yesterday on the investigative website ontheditch.com who claimed that Agrios initially sought €40,000 from the developer, Wakeward Limited, but eventually agreed on €30,000 to withdraw her objection to the application which was for an additional six houses in the Balfeddock Manor development which is next door to the Agrios home on the Baltray Road in Termonfeckin.
This €30,000 was paid to Agrios, €15,000 of it in cash and the remainder in the form of €15,000 worth of patio work which included special paving flags made of mint Sahara sandstone and square tumbled mint cobbles as stipulated by Ms Agrios.
ontheditch.com have this morning updated their article to say that Agrios signed an agreement with the developer which would see her get €103,510 (plus VAT) worth of work carried out on her house free of charge in exchange for withdrawing her objection.
When contacted by Drogheda Life last night Ms Agrios did not initially answer her phone but did finally say that she was in shock at the allegations and would be issuing a statement on the matter this morning.
Her actions are not technically illegal although there are moves to make it so, but she did not deny the allegations published in the Ditch however, she did say that there were “inaccuracies” in it.
In this morning’s statement Agrios said that what occurred was wrong and that she is “extremely sorry”. “While my name remains on the ballot paper, I now ask voters not to consider me for election.
Drogheda’s longstanding Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd was less reticent about the matter however. He said that he personally was disgusted by Ms Agrios’s behaviour and that he would be asking the party what censures can be applied.
No matter what the Fine Gael party may decide however, Marian Agrios’ name will still appear on the ballot papers as a Fine Gael candidate which will, in the event of her being elected, raise some interesting issues for the party who will not want to be associated with such behaviour.
They too have promised to issue a statement on the matter.
Watch this space!
Meanwhile, you can read the full On the Ditch article here: https://www.ontheditch.com/fine-gael-candidate-got-15/
