A 37-year old former Fianna Fail councillor appeared before Cork District Court yesterday charged with soliciting another man to murder three people.

According to RTE Gary O'Flynn of Castlecourt, County Cork, was remanded in custody until Wednesday, after an application for bail was refused.

O'Flynn is an attorney and a financial advisor who successfully practiced as a mortgage broker in Cork over ten years ago.

He is also a member of a well-known political family. His father, Noel, is a former Fianna Fail minister for Cork North Central.

Detective Sergeant Denis Lynch told the court that O'Flynn was arrested at Gurranabraher Garda Station in Cork yesterday afternoon.

Lynch added that O'Flynn replied not guilty when he put each of the charges to him.

The charges reportedly allege that O'Flynn solicited a named person to murder Detective Police Officer Mary Skehan, an official of the Revenue Commissioners named George Ross, and another man named Patrick Sweeney, between October 1 last year and February 15 this year.

Detective Skehan was identified as the leading investigating police officer in an investigation involving O'Flynn.

O'Flynn was granted free legal aid after he told the court he had no income, no assets and no savings.