Irish civil servant Yevgen McKeeffe to face Special Criminal Court over state data leaks

A Ukrainian-born Irish civil servant faces four charges including breaching the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking government data to a hostile foreign power.

Civil servant accused of leaking state secrets to face non-jury trial

A Ukrainian-born Irish civil servant accused of passing sensitive government data to a hostile foreign power will stand trial in the Special Criminal Court, TheJournal.ie reports.

Yevgen McKeeffe (46), who holds Irish citizenship and has lived in Ireland for 24 years, faces four charges brought by the Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) covering the period between 11 July 2025 and 28 May this year.

The charges include unlawfully disclosing confidential information from a government department — which cannot be named for legal reasons — under section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018. 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 was arrested on 28 May in the departures area of Dublin Airport as he was about to board a flight, carrying €5,650 in cash and a one-way ticket.

DPP directs higher-court trial

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed on Wednesday that the case proceed on indictment. The following day, at Cloverhill District Court, Judge Patricia Cronin noted that the DPP had further determined the trial would be held in the Special Criminal Court — a tribunal that ordinarily handles terrorism and organised crime cases. The judge recorded that the ordinary courts were deemed unsuitable for the proceedings.

McKeeffe appeared before the court via video link. He has been held on remand since 30 May, when bail was refused. He was remanded in continuing custody to return to Cloverhill District Court on 25 September.

State solicitor Mark Donnelly pointed to the "uniqueness" of the case and cautioned that the book of evidence — which prosecutors must serve before the accused can be returned for trial — may not be ready by the next court date. Defence counsel Fiachra Treacy highlighted that his client had already spent three months in custody and called on prosecutors to move the matter forward. Any fresh bail application can only be heard by the High Court, given the nature of the case.

Intelligence-led arrest at Dublin Airport

At an earlier bail hearing in June, Detective Sergeant Shay Palmer told the court that the SDU launched an intelligence-led investigation that culminated in McKeeffe's arrest as he was about to fly to Turkey. It was alleged that he was then set to travel onward to a final destination where he would meet a contact and share confidential information that "had the potential of creating risk to the Irish State."

Investigators found during a search of his home that he had used the Telegram messaging app on his mobile phone to send documents, pictures or videos to a "handler" in a foreign jurisdiction. Gardaí seized electronic devices and documents from his home and also removed his desktop computer from his workplace.

Detective Sergeant Palmer told the court that McKeeffe received payments in a foreign currency equivalent to approximately €250–€260, which were lodged into his mother's bank account. Given the nature of the country involved, investigators said it was not possible to establish whether additional sums had been received there.

McKeeffe had held his most recent civil service position since 2022 and, before that, worked in another government department for six years. He signed the Official Secrets Act upon commencing his employment. He remains suspended from his post pending the outcome of the case.

Background: name changes and travel documents

McKeeffe, who is originally from Ukraine, came to Ireland in 2002. According to evidence given at the bail hearing, he moved to the country because he is homosexual and faced discrimination beforehand. He progressed to Irish citizenship and changed his name by deed poll to a more Irish-sounding one — one of four name variations associated with him, the court heard.

At the time of his arrest he held an Irish passport along with two other non-Irish travel documents. Gardaí raised significant flight-risk concerns, noting that he had previously travelled abroad in 2025 under his current name but had used a different name on an earlier flight.

Defence counsel argued that McKeeffe had firm ties to Ireland through his employment, a circle of friends and a mortgage on his Dublin home — details of which are subject to reporting restrictions preventing journalists from disclosing his address.

Reporting restrictions also bar the media from naming the specific government department in which he worked, the overseas country involved in the alleged espionage, or the nature of the information said to have been disclosed.

McKeeffe denies all allegations.

Source: TheJournal.ie