Kevin McGeever Held By Police Over 'Kidnap'

An Irish property developer who claimed he was kidnapped for eight months is being held on suspicion of wasting police time.

Kevin McGeever was emaciated and disorientated when found wandering barefoot on the side of the road near the Cavan-Leitrim border on January 29 this year.

The 68-year-old former tycoon was arrested at his Craughwell home in Co Galway on Thursday and held under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act 1994, which contains provisions for wasting police time and making false allegations.

Mr McGeever, who is originally from Swinford, Co Mayo, had a long beard, hair and nails and was treated for malnutrition when he was found by a motorist in a dishevelled state.

He had lost about five stone and claimed he was abducted at gunpoint from his gated mansion on May 17 last year. His attackers also reportedly wrote insults on his face.

He had been reported missing by his partner last June.

Before the economic downturn, Mr McGeever sold luxury homes to expats in Dubai.

He made a fortune building houses, first in his native county and then further afield, before making big investments abroad. He fronted a company called KMM Commercial Properties.

A police spokesman confirmed a 68-year-old man had been arrested in relation to the ongoing investigation into the abduction.