AN army Private at Rockhill Barracks in Letterkenny has been convicted and fined more than ¤450 for stealing diesel from military vehicles.

Following an investigation by Military Police the man was charged with three separate offences which took place in 2005 at Rockhill. He was found guilty on all three counts which included, theft and siphoning of diesel and the unauthorised use of a military vehicle. He was fined ¤250 and order to pay the cost of replacing the fuel which was ¤212.

The investigation was completed in recent months and the matter was dealt with internally by the army. The soldier at the centre of the investigation is still based at Rockhill. No suspension mechanism exists within the Defence Forces.

In autumn 2005 the Private in the 28th Battalion was caught stealing diesel and replacing it with illegal, laundered fuel.

It had been alleged the fuel used to refill the vehicles at Rockhill had its origins in an illicit fuel laundering operation run by individuals linked to the Provisional IRA. Much of the laundered fuel operations in Border counties are controlled by paramilitary figures.