Civil servant to face non-jury Special Criminal Court over alleged leaks to foreign handler
An Irish civil servant of Ukrainian origin has been sent to the non-jury Special Criminal Court to face charges of leaking sensitive government information to a foreign power. The defendant, Yevgen McKeeffe, was arrested at Dublin Airport while allegedly attempting to flee the country.
Why it matters
The case highlights national security concerns regarding espionage and the integrity of government data in the face of potential foreign interference.
A man accused of leaking sensitive Government information to a hostile foreign power is to be tried at the non-jury Special Criminal Court.
Civil servant Yevgen McKeeffe (46), who is originally from Ukraine but has Irish citizenship, stands accused of breaking the Official Secrets Act.
He was arrested in the departures area at Dublin Airport on May 28th, attempting to leave the country carrying €5,650 and a one-way ticket.
The IT worker, who has lived in Ireland for 24 years, had previously changed his name by deed poll to a more Irish one.
The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) has charged him with four offences between July 11th, 2025, and May 28th this year.
The first is under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018 for unlawfully disclosing confidential information from a specific government department, which cannot be named for legal reasons.
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