Fine Gael Councillor Faces New Allegations Over Undisclosed Business Interests and Recruitment Fee Scandal
Dublin: Fine Gael councillor Baby Pereppadan is facing renewed legal and ethical scrutiny over allegations of charging illegal recruitment fees to immigrant nurses through Angel Care Consultancy Limited, a company in which he held a 50% stake.
An Irish media investigation has revealed that Pereppadan failed to disclose his shareholding in the company to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO), as required by the Code of Conduct for Councillors. The guidelines mandate that all financial, property, and business interests be declared to a council’s ethics registrar.
Records show that Pereppadan did not report any company directorships or shareholdings to SIPO for 2022, 2023, or 2024. He served as a director of Angel Care from November 22, 2022, to May 19, 2023, before resigning and transferring the position to his 22-year-old daughter. Pereppadan has claimed her involvement was “nominal and administrative” and that she had no role in managing the company.
Political Pressure Mounts
The revelations have prompted People Before Profit and Sinn Féin TDs to call for a Fine Gael investigation into the councillor. A formal complaint has also been lodged with the South County Council Ethics Registrar.
A Fine Gael spokesperson confirmed that the party has requested a detailed report from both Baby Pereppadan and Britto Pereppadan, his son, regarding the allegations. The councillors dispute aspects of the media report and are currently seeking legal advice. Party leader and Tánaiste Simon Harris has said he will “make a decision” once all the facts are established.
Earlier this month, Pereppadan stated that he was offered the 50% stake in 2021 for assisting with administrative work in the company’s early stages. He has not explained why neither the directorship nor the shareholding was declared to SIPO.
Three Malayali nurses have now lodged formal complaints about being charged illegal recruitment fees. One nurse claimed to have paid €3,000 directly into the bank account of Britto Pereppadan. Pereppadan denies wrongdoing, saying the payment was a loan from another co-owner, businessman Babu Valluran.
Sources indicate that Angel Care also brought hundreds of carers to Ireland, allegedly charging each between ₹8–10 lakh. In some cases, carers and nurses placed through the company were reportedly paid up to €1 per hour less than the standard rate under Pereppadan’s instructions. Several nursing homes are now under scrutiny for paying below legal wage rates.
The controversy has left other recruitment agencies operating in Ireland “deeply concerned” about the heightened scrutiny and potential fallout from the scandal.
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