Muhammed Ali's former manager praises 'honourable' Daniel Kinahan
A leading boxing promoter thinks Daniel Kinahan is "an honourable man".
Bob Arum, who has managed the likes of Muhammed Ali, has praised Kinahan for securing the fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
The Kinahan drug cartel is suspected of being behind 18 murders here and in Spain since September 2015.
The High Court here has named Mr Kinahan as a senior figure in organised crime on a global scale and has said Liam Byrne, the head of the Dublin branch of the cartel was a “trusted lieutenant” of Mr Kinahan’s.
Mr Arum dismissed the allegations saying he only judges him for his interactions in boxing.
He said he did not know anything about Kinahan’s past and their dealings had been solely about Tyson Fury and boxing.
"If anybody asked me I would say without any question that I find him to be an honourable man.
"Now, whatever the other allegations are and so forth, whether they are true or not true, I can't get into it and I'm not going to get into it because it is none of my business."
Kinahan was a “trusted confidant” of Tyson Fury so his views had been important in organising the forthcoming fight.
“Everything that he has told us and every promise that he's made to us, he's more than fulfilled - and I think he would say the same thing about us".
Mr Arum said that anything that Kinahan had done prior to his involvement in boxing promotion was not of interest or concern to him.
Kinahan had been “forthright, honest and reliable” in all his dealings with him, he said.
“In boxing, you might remind your prime minister, we've had situations where we've had athletes who were accused and convicted of major crimes, serve their time and came into the sport of boxing and not only performed well, but excelled, like Bernard Hopkins.
Boxing has been used by many people who've had questionable backgrounds - if they come into box, if they conduct themselves well - yes they then achieve a new type of attitude that people have to them because they're nothing but forthright and honest.
Yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil that the Department of Foreign Affairs has contacted the United Arab Emirates, where Daniel Kinahan lives, about the matter.
Mr Kinahan has been credited with securing two high-profile boxing fights between heavyweight rivals Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Speaking in the Dáil and referring to Daniel Kinahan, Labour leader Alan Kelly highlighted the “parasitical and criminal activities of this individual and all associated with him”, adding that this individual is now “rebranding himself” as a boxing promoter in the Middle East.
He urged the Taoiseach to act, saying: “Our country has to intervene with the United Arab Emirates through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of this individual. We owe it to the victims of that cartel. Our country needs to do this and to do it today.”
The Taoiseach replied: “I was rather taken aback to see Tyson Fury dropping the name of the person the deputy mentioned in a video the other day as if he was not a person with quite a chequered history in this State and elsewhere.
“While I cannot comment on a particular Garda operation, I can certainly assure the deputy that there has been contact between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the authorities in the United Arab Emirates about that matter.”
