Northern Ireland

Two Belfast men facing charges in connection with a suspected multi-million pound banking fraud

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;; ">Both men are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation through emails and phone calls</span>
Both men are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation through emails and phone calls Both men are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation through emails and phone calls

Two Belfast men are facing a "huge" number of charges in connection with an investigation into a suspected multi-million pound banking fraud, a court has been told.

John Cartmill (41) and Paul Diamond (59) are accused of conspiring as part of an alleged scam which involved targeting financial institutions across the UK and in the Republic.

Police have claimed the estimated losses were in the region of £3 million.

Cartmill, of Coolnasilla Park West, faces a total of 46 charges, including 39 counts of fraud by false representation.

He allegedly made a series of telephone calls and sent emails during 2019 and 2020, claiming to be either a customer or an employee of up to seven different banks with the intention of gaining personally or causing a loss to another.

It is also alleged that he entered an arrangement to acquire criminal property, as well as concealing or converting it, on dates between August 2016 and March 2020.

Both men are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation through emails and phone calls.

Diamond, of White Glen in Dunmurry, faces a further 14 counts of fraud by false representation by claiming to be either a bank employee or customer.

The defendants are currently on bail and neither of them attended as the case came before Belfast Magistrates' Court today for the first time.

A detective said she could connect the pair to all of the charges against them, adding that "this investigation is cross-border."

District Judge Greg McCourt listed the next hearing for July 28.

With the accused barred from contacting each other, they must also notify police of any intention to travel outside Northern Ireland.