IOSCA SENTENCE AND VERDICT A “VICTORY AGAINST INSURANCE FRAUD”
Sentence of 3.5 years handed down, with 9 months suspended
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has said the sentence and verdict handed to Mr. Constantin Iosca represent “a victory against insurance fraud”. Mr. Constantin Iosca was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, with 9 months suspended in the Circuit Criminal Court.
This follows Mr. Iosca being found guilty of deception under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 by a jury last November.
The criminal proceedings arose from a personal injury claim Mr. Iosca had made against the MIBI. His case was heard by the High Court in January 2020. During the course of that hearing, the MIBI was able to present the court with video evidence which contradicted Mr. Iosca’s claim that he required a wheelchair and crutches.
In the video footage presented to the High Court in January 2020, Mr. Iosca is shown:
• Walking out to a car and preparing it for his upcoming journey into town.
• Removing crutches from plastic wrapping.
• Picking the wheelchair up and placing it in the boot of the car.
• Upon his arrival in Dublin city centre, getting into the wheelchair and then being wheeled to the building where his medical appointment is taking place.
• Using the crutches to climb the steps into the building.
• A short time after the medical appointment he is seen in another part of Dublin city centre walking unaided.
• After returning to his home, he lifts the wheelchair and crutches out of the car and brings them into the house.
“This is a victory against insurance fraud,” said David Fitzgerald, CEO of the MIBI. “People who make an illegitimate claim should have to face the consequences and that is what has happened to Mr. Iosca. We have zero tolerance for anyone who tries to submit a false claim and we hope this result sends a signal to those who are engaged in fraudulent behaviour. Those who commit fraud will pay the price.
“Fraudulent activity harms all law-abiding road users. It puts people’s safety at risk and adds to the cost of insurance. For several years now the MIBI has been running a ‘Fighting Fraud’ strategy under which we are committed to challenging suspicious claims. We aim to make it extremely difficult for fraudsters to succeed. If we don’t think a claim stacks up, we are prepared to investigate it fully, to put resources into checking the evidence forensically and to contesting these questionable claims through the courts.
“This case is an example of that strategy being put into action. Not only did Mr. Iosca’s claim have to be withdrawn, he has now been found guilty of criminal activity. Claims without merit should never succeed. So, anyone else who considers submitting a fraudulent claim can expect a similarly rigorous response.
“We would like to express our thanks to the jury, to Justice Ryan, the Courts, all those who were involved in the investigation and also to the Director of Public Prosecutions for pursuing this case,” Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.
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The MIBI previously published a video which contains some of the footage of Mr. Iosca shown in the High Court.
This footage can be viewed at this link