Civil servant accused of passing secret government information to foreign power awaits DPP'S directions
Tom Tuite
A Dublin civil servant accused of leaking sensitive confidential government information to "handlers" in a foreign intelligence agency has been further remanded in custody pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Yevgen McKeeffe (45), originally from Ukraine but with Irish citizenship, had been arrested at departures in Dublin Airport on May 28 attempting to leave the country carrying €5,650 and a one-way ticket.
He was refused bail in the District Court on May 30 following an investigation by the Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU).
He was later denied bail by the High Court.
He has not indicated a plea and faced his latest hearing when he appeared at Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday, July 28th.
Further charges under the Official Secrets Act could be brought.
The DPP's directions remain outstanding, and he was remanded in continuing custody to appear again on August 11th.
At his original bail hearing, the court was told that the IT worker was allegedly about to leave the State to meet a contact and provide sensitive information, thereby placing the State at risk.
He was charged under section 9 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act for the unlawful use of a computer in his employment, which, on conviction, is punishable by a maximum 10-year sentence.
Reporting restrictions were imposed, preventing journalists from revealing his address in Dublin, the specific government department where he worked, or the overseas country implicated in the case.
However, the media could name the accused.
Objecting to bail, Detective Sergeant Shay Palmer had said the civil servant who worked in an information management technology section had previously been in the IT section.
Palmer said the accused had worked on the department's website and an online portal.
The accused had allegedly obtained or transferred official department data, "and supplied them to a foreign intelligence service for personal gain."
The SDU officer said McKeeffe was about to fly to Turkey, and then proceed "on to his final destination where he would meet with his contact and share confidential information which had the potential of creating risk to the Irish State".
He had previously travelled out of the country in 2025 under his current name, but had used another name on an earlier flight.
The court heard gardaí seized electronic devices and documents during a search of his home computer.
His workplace was also examined, and his desktop computer was seized. Gardaí accessed his work system and downloaded an audit log.
The court heard claims that he accessed details that were photographed or videoed and "sent to his foreign contact".
Palmer said McKeeffe received payments in a foreign currency equivalent to €250–€260 for his efforts, which were paid into his mother's account.
The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau has examined his mobile phone.
Palmer also raised significant flight risk concerns, saying the IT worker had used four other variations of names.
He accepted McKeeffe had Irish citizenship but stated that he also had family in Ukraine's Donbas region and no familial ties to Ireland.
The defence said McKeeffe had no prior criminal convictions.
The officer agreed the accused was a single man and had been in Ireland lawfully since 2002 and had progressed to citizenship.
The court heard that since he commenced his government job, he had been employed in two departments. His solicitor said McKeeffe had the money to get healthcare work done and always planned to return to Ireland.
The accused had an Irish passport and two from his homeland, all under his original name, which had changed because people had trouble pronouncing it, the court had heard.
