Kidnapped Irish Property Tycoon Kevin McGeever 'Wanted by Interpol and FBI'

The Irish property tycoon who reappeared in January after being held captive for eight months was wanted by the FBI and Interpol before he was kidnapped.

Kevin McGeever, 68, has now been released from the hospital where he was receiving treatment for malnutrition and dehydration after being found last week.

Since he was discovered wandering down a country road near Ballinamore at the end of January, more details have emerged about McGeever's past.

According to the Irish Independent, McGeever's name has featured on Interpol's watch list for most of the last ten years.

He was also sought by the FBI for an alleged $3 million (€1.9 million) fraud and was wanted by police in Dubai for questioning about another €630,000 (£539,000) fraud case.

Abu Dhabi authorities reportedly tried to have McGeever extradited from Germany for a fraud case involving an estimated €500,000 (£428,000).

Interpol has issued alerts about the property developer to international police forces on two occasions, saying he was a fugitive.

There have also been a number of complaints that McGeever did not deliver on properties sold in Abu Dhabi, with some investors losing money in the process.

Lavish lifestyle

In the US he was linked to an alleged plot to defraud wealthy US investors in the 1990s and he missed a court appearance in Los Angeles in 2003.

The FBI has said he is still interested in McGeever. A spokesman is quoted as saying: "I can confirm for you that a Kevin Michael McGeever was named as a defendant in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Central District of California in 2003.

"The indictment has not been dismissed. Due to the ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Prior to his disappearance, McGeever lived a lavish lifestyle. He lived in a €3 million mansion in Craughwell, had a helicopter, a number of expensive cars and regularly went on long business trips around the world.

The Irish Independent reports that he had returned to Ireland extremely wealthy after a number of years abroad.

Reports suggest McGeever's captors had carved the word 'thief' into his forehead but this has not yet been confirmed.

Rumours also emerged that the Russian mafia was involved in McGeever's abduction but this was dismissed by his brother Brendan.

Who was responsible for McGeever's eight-month detainment remains a mystery, but police are investigating a 2010 complaint made by the businessman that he was threatened by a man driving a car with UK number plates.