Fugitive solicitor Michael Lynn arrested in Brazil

FUGITIVE solicitor Michael Lynn has been sensationally arrested by police in Brazil.

Lynn (43) was arrested late last night in the state of Pernambuco in the northeast region of the country on foot of an extradition warrant issued by Irish authorities.

Mr Lynn is facing dozens of fraud-related charges after fleeing Ireland almost six years ago, owing more than €80m to several financial institutions

He fled Ireland in 2007 and travelled initially to Portugal and Hungary before moving onto South America.

Mr Lynn left behind scores of furious investors, many of whom lost tens of thousands of euro each.

The investors lost their money after attempting to buy property in Portugal, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary through his Kendar company.

He is expected to appear before a Brazilian court later today where he faces the prospect of being remanded in custody in a hellhole Brazilian jail.

The on-the-run lawyer used the birth of his son to secure the permanent Brazilian visa.

The lawyer was granted the visa in June 2012 because he has a child who was born there.

Senior sources have expressed major concern that this may complicate attempts to get Lynn back to Ireland in a matter which is further complicated because Ireland and Brazil have no formal extradition treaty.

In an interview with 'Dublin's Best' earlier this year, Lynn said he had no intention of returning to Ireland “for the foreseeable future”.

“I will not be made a scapegoat for corrupt bankers,” he said.

He previously claimed he would try to make ensure investors got their money back, or got the properties they had paid for.

Gardai secured an international arrest warrant last year -- following a protracted investigation -- when the Director of Public Prosecutions finally gave the go-ahead for criminal charges.

The garda inquiry had suffered significant delays because some financial institutions which were allegedly scammed out of money by Mr Lynn had been slow in lodging formal complaints against him.

The former solicitor had agreed to meet gardai at a location in Europe in July last year, but the meeting fell through.

It is understood that Lynn set up a property company in Brazil.

Last December, it emerged that the Law Society is trying to recoup about €2 million it is owed by fugitive former solicitor.

The Law Society has had discussions with a Brazilian law firm about the possibility of taking legal action there to recoup some of the money paid out by the society's compensation fund to victims of the former Dublin solicitor.

Having practised on Capel Street in Dublin, Mr Lynn was struck off by the President of the High Court more than five years ago and had a fine of €1 million imposed on him.

By Ken Foy Crime correspondent