Irish civil servant to face Special Criminal Court over alleged state secrets leak
Yevgen McKeeffe, a Ukrainian-born IT worker with Irish citizenship, faces four charges including breaches of the Official Secrets Act after his arrest at Dublin Airport.
Ukrainian-born civil servant accused of leaking state secrets to foreign handler
A Ukrainian-born civil servant with Irish citizenship is to stand trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court on charges of leaking sensitive government information to a hostile foreign power, the Irish Times reports.
Yevgen McKeeffe (46), an IT worker who has lived in Ireland for 24 years and holds Irish citizenship, was arrested on 28 May in the departures area of Dublin Airport. He was carrying €5,650 in cash and a one-way ticket, according to evidence heard in court.
Four charges spanning ten months
The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) has charged McKeeffe with four offences alleged to have occurred between 11 July 2025 and 28 May of this year.
The first charge, under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018, relates to the unlawful disclosure of confidential information from a specific government department that cannot be named for legal reasons. He also faces a charge under the Data Protection Act and two counts under the Official Secrets Act — one for retaining official data and another for communicating that information in a manner prejudicial to the safety and preservation of the State.
McKeeffe denies all allegations and remains suspended from his position pending the outcome of the case.
Trial directed to the Special Criminal Court
On Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that the case proceed on indictment. When the matter resumed on Friday at Cloverhill District Court, Judge Patricia Cronin noted a further development: the DPP had stated the trial would be held at the Special Criminal Court, a tribunal that ordinarily hears terrorism- and organised crime-related cases. The judge recorded that the ordinary courts were not considered suitable for the trial.
McKeeffe has appeared via video-link and has been in custody since 30 May, when bail was refused. He was remanded to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on 25 September.
His barrister, Fiachra Treacy, highlighted the delays to date, noting his client had already spent three months in custody, and called on prosecutors to move the matter forward more quickly.
Telegram app and payments to mother's account
Detective Sergeant Shay Palmer told an earlier hearing that the SDU opened an intelligence-led investigation which led to McKeeffe's arrest as he was about to board a flight to Turkey. It was alleged he was then to travel on to a final destination where he would meet a contact and share confidential information that had the potential to create risk to the Irish state.
Investigators seized electronic devices and documents during a search of McKeeffe's home, as well as his desktop computer from his workplace. It was alleged he transmitted information in the form of documents, photographs or videos to a "handler" in a foreign jurisdiction via the Telegram messaging application on his mobile phone.
Palmer said McKeeffe received payments equivalent to €250–€260 in a foreign currency, which were lodged into his mother's bank account. Given the nature of the country involved, it was not possible to determine whether he had received further payments abroad.
Name changes and flight risk concerns
At the bail hearing, it emerged McKeeffe had previously travelled abroad in 2025 under his current name but had used a different name on an earlier flight. Gardaí identified four further name variations associated with him. He held an Irish passport as well as two non-Irish travel documents.
Palmer raised significant flight risk concerns. The court heard McKeeffe had originally come to Ireland because he was gay and had faced discrimination in his country of origin. He changed his name by deed poll to one that was more Irish in style.
Defence counsel argued McKeeffe had substantial ties to Ireland through his employment, his social connections and a mortgage on his home, and that he had been in the country lawfully since 2002, progressing to citizenship.
Reporting restrictions imposed earlier prohibit journalists from publishing McKeeffe's Dublin address, the name of the government department in which he worked, the overseas country involved, or the nature of the information allegedly disclosed. The court also confirmed he had signed the Official Secrets Act upon taking up his employment.
Source: Irish Times