Canary Islands lawyer Emilio Cabrera told local newspaper La Provincia that it is no coincidence that Mr Hutch was arrested
This is the moment Spanish cops arrested a key associate of Gerry “the Monk” Hutch
A son of Gerry “the Monk” Hutch is being targeted for extradition to Ireland from Spain because his father is running for election to the Dáil, his lawyer has claimed.
“His arrest has a very important political connotation,” Jason Jamie Hutch’s Spanish lawyer said – three days after the Dubliner was arrested in Lanzarote on foot of an extradition request from Irish authorities.
Canary Islands lawyer Emilio Cabrera told local newspaper La Provincia that it is no coincidence that Mr Hutch, 37, was arrested while his father Gerry, 62, is about to stand in the Dublin central by-election – brought about by the resignation of Fine Gael Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.
He added the arrest happened shortly after Gerry Hutch mentioned in a video that Mr Donohoe had secured a new job in Washington with the World Bank – months after he approved €10 million in extra funding for the organisation from the Irish taxpayer when he was minister.
The paper said: “The lawyer points out that the arrest occurred after Gerry posted on social media that the former (finance minister) of his country was going to a job in the United States paying €600,000 after the Irish government contributed €10 million more than it owed to an international organization also based in that country.”
Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch.
Mr Cabrera, a well-known criminal lawyer on the Canary Islands, also told the newspaper that Mr Hutch should not be extradited to Ireland because the official request mentions allegations of money laundering – something for which he is under investigation in Lanzarote.
Mr Hutch and his father were among nine people arrested in Lanzarote in October 2024 over an investigation into alleged money laundering and they are still under investigation there. Mr Cabrera said the fact that the case is still open in Lanzarote means Mr Hutch cannot be extradited to face identical charges in Ireland.
He told the newspaper: “According to extradition law, a person cannot be extradited if they have an open case in Spain for the same reasons. The extradition request sent from Ireland mentions money laundering, which is exactly the same charge Hutch faces here.”
And Mr Cabrera argues that the extradition order violated his client’s fundamental rights by alleging money laundering that is already under investigation in Lanzarote. He also claimed the Irish authorities “have not provided anything that the court has requested, thereby violating Jamie Hutch’s right to a fair trial.”
Gardai were present when the alleged Hutch leader was arrested on Lanzarote
Mr Hutch, 37, is still in custody in Lanzarote after he was arrested by Spanish Police officers in the village of Tias, around 3kms north of Puerto Del Carmen on Wednesday.
Spanish cops said it was a joint operation with Gardaí – and two detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation were present for the arrest.
It is part of a long running investigation into alleged links between the Hutch Organised Crime Group and rogue Gardaí in Dublin for five years.
Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe
Gardaí sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions on that investigation early last year – and the decision has now been made that several people, including Mr Hutch Jnr should be charged.
As part of the same probe, Gardaí asked for Gerry Hutch, 62, to be charged. But sources tell us the DPP has not directed any charges against the former criminal and Dail candidate as of yet.
Gardaí secured a European arrest warrant against Mr Hutch Jnr earlier this year – and sent it to Spanish cops, who moved against him on Wednesday.
Spanish police then issued a statement claiming the prisoner was heavily involved in the Hutch crime gang – although they did not name him.
Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch. (Image: Sam Boal/Collin Photos)
The Spanish police said: “He was wanted for his membership in the “Hutch” criminal organization. The arrested man was subject to a European Arrest Warrant and was apprehended in less than 24 hours after the alert was issued.
“He is considered one of the leaders of the criminal organization’s intelligence cell and, along with his father, managed its money laundering operations.
“After learning of his possible presence in Spain, officers launched an operation to locate him, which culminated yesterday on the island of Lanzarote with the assistance of Irish Garda officers who had been specifically deployed to Spain.
“The “Hutch” criminal organization is built around strong intergenerational family ties and close relationships, spanning several decades, in Dublin. It is allegedly involved in various serious criminal activities, particularly due to its intense rivalry with another criminal organization, the Kinahans.”
Mr Hutch is now fighting the extradition request. It will now be up to a Spanish judge to decide if he should be sent back to Ireland – or, as Mr Cabrera wants, the request should be rejected.
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