Decision on bail request for Irishman wanted in California expected

Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna is expected to decide later on whether or not an Irish businessman wanted by the Southern Californian authorities for allegedly polluting San Diego harbour should be granted bail.

The Irishman, Joseph O’Connor, was denied bail in July but a request for bail has again been filed by his lawyers - Patrick Valentino and Stephen Tonna Lowell.

They said that should the request for bail be denied, their client should at least be allowed to go to his office for two hours everyday to complete the handing over of his tugboat business.

Head of the International Cooperation Unit at the Attorney General's Office, Donatella Frendo Dimech, objected to the bail request and pointed out he was being held in preventive custody and not in some halfway house.

She also requested Mr O’Connor's defence lawyers to file an application specifying exactly how many hours were needed to conclude the so-called handing over and the reason why it had be to done on site at his office.