Irish civil servant Yevgen McKeeffe to face non-jury trial over state secrets leak
Ukrainian-born Irish citizen Yevgen McKeeffe (46) faces trial in the Special Criminal Court on charges of leaking sensitive government data to a foreign power.
Ukrainian-born Irish civil servant charged with leaking state secrets to hostile power
A Ukrainian-born Irish civil servant will stand trial in the Special Criminal Court on charges of leaking sensitive government information to a hostile foreign power, BreakingNews.ie reports.
Yevgen McKeeffe (46), who holds Irish citizenship and has lived in Ireland for 24 years, was arrested on 28 May in the departures area of Dublin Airport carrying €5,650 in cash and a one-way ticket, as he was about to board a flight to Turkey.
Four charges brought by the Garda Special Detective Unit
The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) has charged McKeeffe with four offences alleged to have taken place between 11 July 2024 and 28 May 2025.
The first charge is brought under section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018, for unlawfully disclosing confidential information from a specific government department that cannot be named for legal reasons. He also faces a charge of breaching the Data Protection Act, and two counts under the Official Secrets Act — one for retaining official data and one for communicating that information, in a manner prejudicial to the safety and preservation of the State, to another person.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed on Wednesday that the case proceed on indictment. At Cloverhill District Court on Friday, Judge Patricia Cronin noted a further development: the DPP has designated the Special Criminal Court — which ordinarily hears terrorism- and organised crime-related cases — as the trial venue. Judge Cronin recorded that the ordinary courts were deemed unsuitable.
Case details restricted by reporting order
McKeeffe appeared before the court via video link. He has been held on remand since 30 May, when bail was denied, and was remanded in continuing custody to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on 25 September.
Prosecutors must serve a book of evidence before McKeeffe is returned for trial. However, State solicitor Mark Donnelly pointed to the "uniqueness" of the case and cautioned that proceedings may not be ready by the next court date.
Defence counsel Fiachra Treacy highlighted delays to date and noted that his client has been in custody for three months, calling on prosecutors to expedite the matter. Because of the nature of the case, only the High Court can consider any fresh bail application.
Reporting restrictions bar journalists from identifying McKeeffe's Dublin address, the government department in which he worked, the overseas country involved, or the information allegedly disclosed. McKeeffe denies all allegations.
Intelligence-led investigation and Telegram communications
During an earlier bail hearing in June, Detective Sergeant Shay Palmer told the court that the SDU opened an intelligence-led investigation that led directly to McKeeffe's arrest as he prepared to fly to Turkey. It was alleged he intended to travel on to a final destination, where he would meet a contact and hand over confidential information that "had the potential of creating risk to the Irish State".
Gardaí seized electronic devices and documents during a search of his home and also examined his workplace, seizing his desktop computer. It was alleged that McKeeffe transmitted information — in the form of documents, photographs, or videos — to a handler in a foreign jurisdiction via the Telegram app on his mobile phone.
Detective Sergeant Palmer told the court that McKeeffe received payments in a foreign currency equivalent to €250–€260 per transaction, lodged into his mother's bank account. Given the nature of the country involved, investigators could not determine whether he received additional sums abroad.
McKeeffe had been in his most recent government post since 2022, having previously worked in another department for six years. He remains suspended from work pending the outcome of the case.
Background: name changes and travel documents
McKeeffe, who is single, came to Ireland in 2002 and progressed to Irish citizenship. He changed his name by deed poll to a more Irish-sounding form and holds an Irish passport alongside two other non-Irish travel documents. The court heard he had used four other name variations in the past and that, while he had travelled abroad in 2025 under his current name, an earlier flight had been booked under a different name.
Detective Sergeant Palmer raised significant flight-risk concerns at the bail hearing.
Defence counsel noted that McKeeffe had come to Ireland because he was gay and had faced discrimination previously, and argued he had strong ties to the country through his employment, friendships, and a mortgage on his home. The court heard he had signed the Official Secrets Act upon commencing his employment.
Source: BreakingNews.ie