Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch ‘more determined than ever’ to stand in General Election after €100,000 bail release from Tahiche Prison, Lanzarote

The veteran Dublin criminal is also said to be furious over the garda dawn raid on his Clontarf home when they knew he was out of the country.

It emerged yesterday that Hutch had been released on €100,000 bail in Lanzarote where he had been arrested on 25 October as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.

Sources say that he still intends to stand in the election and suspects the latest investigation is part of move to ‘gag’ him.

He intends to fight the allegations against him in Spain, it was added.

Armed gardaí raided his Clontarf home in what sources said The Monk claimed was “heavy-handed”, knowing he was out of the jurisdiction.

His wife was at home when armed officers carried out the early morning raid, sources added.

Hutch has been openly travelling between Ireland and Spain using his own passport since he was acquitted last year of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.

Despite his determination to run for the Dáil he faces an uphill…