This report by a concerned Cork citizen reveals the problem that VOI has in Ireland. Is it the old group which he found were constantly in the courts in regard to fund raising or are they the breakaway Freedom Ministries? Is it the reformed VOI and how come the personnel involved in the past have been allowed to continue? Is it enough to say sorry for the past without a radical look at the organisation? What has VOI done about it and can the Irish public be sure that another accident is not about to happen? We will answer some of these questions in our next post. Should VOI close down in Ireland and are the new lot just doing the same very things that led to the fall of Valdez? A pivotal aspect of this is the role of the founder and whether there is a proper disbursement of power. We are reaching the end of the line in our discussions with Paul Lloyd who has told us straight out that some of our questions are off limit. We will write up our judgement of the issue and share it here in the public domain shortly but there are concrete issues like their existence in Ireland, where they locate their services and their relationships to other work of a similar type. Have they separated their Church activity from the ministry to addicts? Was the confusion between their mission and using the very addicts without professional training an appropriate model or itself what led to their downfall? Have monies collected for charitable purposes been accounted for to the authorities and has some of the residue gone into private hands?
Martin Lynch speaking nearly two years gave this cryptic message:
He said its staff were properly trained and gave appropriate treatment to those seeking help. e said he would not reveal details on specific qualifications of those who provide services but said the charity engaged registered counsellors and psychologists.
DI received this update from a concerned citizen in Cork:
Having followed the activities of VO Cork whilst they were in Cork, I got to know their faces being in the local media and their various fundraising efforts around the city. Last Christmas 2014 I was at the annual Christmas market in Cork City. Here I noticed some familiar faces at the Bad Boys BBQ stall: Philip Lynch and Marek Auguscik. Philip Lynch was the Assistant Director and Marek Auguscik was a member of VO Cork.
Here is a picture of them taken from Cork Independent around the time they were setting up their Watergrasshill treatment home in Cork.
Martin Lynch his brother had been the National Director as reported in the Irish Examiner in December 2013 when the national story of financial irregularity and the abuse of addicts occurred and which was reported on Prime Time.
Here is a newer photo taken from Marek’s Facebook showing Marek with Philip in the background.
I didn’t think anything of all this until recently when i saw that they are now setting up a shop in MacCurtin St Cork City
I did some investigations on BadBoysBBQ and noticed that the directors are Marek Auguscik and Gary John Keogh.
From http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Bad-Boys-Barbecue-Limited-559357: Bad Boys Barbecue Limited was set up on Mon the 23rd of Mar 2015 in Cork. Their current status is Normal. The company’s current directors Gary John Keogh and Marek Auguscik have been the director of 1 other Irish company between them; 1 of which is now closed.
• Company Name:Bad Boys Barbecue Limited
• Time in Business:2 Months
• Company Number:559357
• Current Status:Normal
• Principal Activity:[55.30] Restaurants
• May Trade As:Bad Boys Barbecue Ltd
• RegisteredThe other Irish company Gary was a director of was Urban Outreach Limited along with Andrew Valdez and three other directors. This was the vehicle for Victory Outreach at the time. This was dissolved a month before Bad Boys Barbecue Limited was set up.
So what does the above tell us?
1. A couple of ex-members of VO Cork are gone into an honest business together? If so, all the very best to them.Or 2. Having failed their operations with VO Cork they are now looking at a way of getting a foothold in Cork again. Will we expect to see vulnerable addicts working in this shop for free, similar to the way they had to endure long periods of fundraising under the former outfit?
Only time will tell? Is it just a coincidence that Urban Outreach which one of the director’s was also a director of closed down within a month of each other? This is company linked to Andy Valdez now of Freedom Ministries. Did they get a pay out to start this business? Are they using the proceeds of the fundraising from the earlier period to run the new business? We do not know so that is why we are putting this into the public domain to see if the public can help us. We must stress that we have no evidence to that effect, but when one sees articles about the use of funds in the past we hope that this not the case.
Filed under: Victory Outreach |
Dialogue Ireland 
Marek is someone I admire. He is a grafter and someone who is honest. However, Gary Keogh is also a director of Bad Boys BBQ. He is also a longtime pastor of victory outreach and in the past he has spoken out against RTE’s expose of the dodgy dealings VO engaged in. Where did Gary get the capital to set up Bad Boys BBQ? How much of a salary could he have earned being a volunteer pastor in VO? Gary, would you like to speak up?
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Thanks Keith but you have in fact not replied to the Dialogue Ireland piece where we took the time
to reply to you in detail. I too will not reply to you further as you have not refuted anything we wrote.
The person who did raise the concerns was in fact AnonB. Why does he do so because there has been such abuse by VO and lies it is difficult to know what is true and not true?
Also I was just talking to a journalist last week who told me he had a person claim that he had real information on a VO and gave a name, John. When he phoned back it turned out to be a leader in VO and his name was not John.
Also it is possible for anyone to put up a name so until we had further information we did not know whether you were a front.
AnonB also commended Marek but if you are on the streets and even if you are very industrious which bank gives out risk capital in such circumstances? So our position is we will wait developments and see if new information comes into the public domain. I repeat we have not put up any slander or gossip, but we are very aware of what VO is capable of. By the way it includes coming to the attention of the special branch.
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I really have no appetite for these kinds of debates, so this will be as short as I can manage. I’m not going to attempt to trawl through all the questions above because there are just too many, and I expect this will be my last contribution.
First, I put my name on my post. (I’m not Gary or Martin), my name is Keith! I thought I made it fairly clear, but I’ll try again: I have no connection with VO, never have had, have never been to a VO church or treatment centre. I know some people who used to go to VO in Cork. A friend of mine works part time with Bad Boys BBQ, which is how I met Marek (incidentally, my friend also isn’t/wasn’t with VO). I have no vested interest in VO or Bad Boys BBQ. No one has asked me to do this.
I commented because someone I respect (Marek), and have gotten to know a little bit through my friend, was being subjected to what really amounts to slander and gossip – and its damaging and hurtful. I don’t know if he’s seen this article – I hope not.
The main concerns seem to be – where did he get the money to set up business, and where does the money go. Where the money is going, to me that seems fairly obvious – into opening the restaurant and paying salaries. I doubt there’s much to spare at this stage. Where the money came from? I don’t know, but I would assume, knowing his appetite for work, that he worked, saved, and took out loans. As far as I know he’s a single man and doesn’t spend a lot on himself. If people suspect that he got money from VO or still has connections with them, then why don’t they go and ask him, rather than posting up suspicions for which there seems to be zero evidence? He seems to me to be a friendly and approachable person. I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t want to divulge his personal finances to a stranger, but if the reasons are politely explained, he might.
I’ve had a glance around your website, and I can certainly see the value of it in highlighting cultism, but it seems to me that this article has crossed over to focussing on individuals who are no longer in the organisation under spotlight, and are trying to move on in their lives. I don’t see the value in that – I see harm.
Anyway, that’s my contribution for what its worth. I wish you well. I don’t expect to make an appearance here again.
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I wonder if this is Gary Keogh or Martin Lynch asking for this to be taken down now that the shop is up and running and more people will be googling it, and hence seeing the connection to Victory Outreach. I place no blame on Marek whatsoever and I admire his story. However I don’t think VO is the key to his success. What I do wonder though is why so many VO people are involved with Bad Boys BBQ? Where is the money coming from to fund the roadside grill, the trucks and the lease for the mccurtin street shop? Who is the main profiteer here? Is it Marek? I seriously doubt it. I brought my concerns to Mike last year and in my eyes they are genuine concerns. One final question- where is all the money going?
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Keith just as you were able to read the material and see the evolving understanding of the business so have others. We allow non censored discussion. As new information came in were we able to distinguish between the record of people like Martin Lynch and this person Marek and it became clear he no longer had any connection with VO in Cork. In fact as you quoted from our own article he is not able to involve himself with VO because of his work load, but also in so far as VO and its agents have fled the city.
Only yesterday I got further reports of how a house was trashed in the Glanmire/Watergrasshill area a number of years ago when it was used as a home by VO. The landlord was threatened and no reparation was made. So it is not surpassing that the public in Cork is always alert as they do not want to see the kinds of abuse that occurred in Cork ever happen again. Abuse of addicts, fundraising of a most unethical type, draws for prizes that were a total scam.
I find it quite remarkable that you claim you had concerns about VO long before the RTE programme yet took no action before now and also only came upon this blog by accident?
Where did you hear them tell their stories? It is no doubt that they were helped but that in no way justifies the means used and the inadequate practice and manipulation that went on in Cork. In fact I hear that RTE was thinking of addressing Cork as well but decided to concentrate on Maynooth. Knowing what I do I would say Marek has shown great character to get his life in order, and would say VO is not of great relevance to that. It is his relationship to Christ as expressed on his Facebook page rather than VO that is central.
No one can fault your statement about their business, but if my memory serves me correctly the restaurant opening was delayed and is not open yet? What is the significance of another opening near them?
You are again failing to understand that Cork citizens were worried because they saw the association that the staff would be victims of VO style abuse. You seem to be concerned on the one hand and acting as their PR spokesperson?
Absolutely, but when we first got the report that was not clear and it took time to sort out the wheat from the tares. I also phoned Marek and was of the same opinion as you are.
There is one question which has not yet been cleared up and that is how did they obtain a jeep and BBQ truck which must have been very expensive? Where did the funds for them come from? Some have raised the question as to whether some of the funds had come from VO before they departed? We generally get ex members who give us the inside track so we will wait and see. You might raise this with Marek?
It is very convenient for you to appear at this late stage. Certainly it is important that anyone who would engage them knows the history. We have not received one single request from the public since then and I believe censorship is not the best way to address this issue. People like you who are concerned will read down to the relevant section, and now they will be able to read your positive views and my confirmation of them. Suddenly removing the post would not remove it from the internet, and would raise more questions.
You have yourself shown that it is not defamatory so we have will not be taking it down. There are still questions to be answered and the position of VO is very clearly unresolved as far as we are concerned as they are totally unrepentant and in fact had an invasion here this summer. Read about it on the blog
Your only real point is that if you do not read all the material someone could form the opinion it is unclear. You managed it so others will too.
You have been researching this group for over 5 years and yet it is only now you have arrived at this site?
Please explain?
That is how a process of understanding emerges by dialogue and logic
That is unlikely now you have raised it.
Did you ever have and if not what did you do to raise awareness in Cork about them before this?
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I stumbled on this article, and as I read it I was increasingly concerned that some very good, sincere, hard working people were being portrayed entirely wrongly. I was glad to read retractions later, but I fear a lot of readers might not read to the end and get a very wrong impression.
I have no connection with Victory Outreach, and was concerned about some of their practices long before RTE got involved. I have met Marek and Gary a few times, and know one of their employees quite well. I have heard Marek and Gary tell their stories of how God rescued them from the hell of drugs and crime, and have to admit, that as faulted as VO was, they are shining examples of people who were helped by them, and there are more like them. They are two of the hardest working, most generous-hearted Christian people I have met. Their lives are so different now to what they were that it is hard to imagine they are the same people. Over the last year or two they have shown a lot of courage and hard work in starting the Bad Boys BBQ business from small beginnings of food stalls at festivals. Because of their hard work and the popularity of their food, they have reached a point where opening a restaurant was the logical next step, and they should be applauded for it. When Marek says he’s not going to church because he’s working 24×7, that’s the truth. He hasn’t lost his faith. He’s just pouring all his energy at the moment into getting this business off the ground. I know for a fact that they pay their employees and it is nonsense to suggest that they are working under duress. They are a hard working and happy crew. So they are still facebook friends with some of the people they knew in VO – so what? VO, as far as I know, packed up shop in Cork because of malpractice being under spotlight, not because they all fell out with each other. If they’re still being civil to one another, that’s surely a good thing.
Anyway, I would suggest this article be taken down. Marek, Gary and the Bad Boys BBQ crew really dont deserve this. Too many people will read the negative stuff at the top and not read through to the balance at the end. Its defamatory and not fair.
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I should tell you I was able to call Marek and if any of his old friends want to meet him he is at Christchurch Cathedral this weekend. This is flower festival and guess what he is doing? The cooking. He told me he worked for VOI in Cork in the kitchen of the cafe and of home in Watergrasshill from 2010-2013. He would see that the corrupt old VOI was instrumental in helping him change his life. He is very thankful for the role that Martin Lynch and his wife had on his life. He currently does not go anywhere to Church as he is working 24×7. The notion he has nothing to do with VOI would just not fit the facts. There is no VOI in Cork hence he can’t be a member. Gary Keogh I heard was a cook for Andy Valdez.
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Thank you DI. I wish to apologise to marek and his colleagues for my groundless assumptions. I let my hatred for VO to overrule my rationality and what I said was out of order. I wish marek nothing but the best of luck in the next chapter of his recovery. Unless any of the guys reply, here is where I bow out.
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Anon I won’t bother replying to all your comments except to say it takes some guts to admit you were wrong. Well done and keep us informed of developments in Cork. I do hope Martin Lynch now comes forward and clears the air as he has left more questions than answers.
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When I saw them at the Christmas market Gary Keogh was the one taking the money and Marek was cutting the meat. Did all the workers that day get paid? Were any of them there under duress?
Anon this is really going nowhere. You are reading into this company the actions of the group they were operating out of a couple of years ago. Have you any evidence for the position you are proposing?
—————-I have no evidence for any of this apart from my observations that day. Everything else i wrote is my own opinion.
To finish, MARTIN LYNCH or GARY KEOGH, or indeed MAREK AUGUSCIK, please respond here to clear up any confusion or misgivings.
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What hand does Martin lynch and the other pastors have in this?
How do we know? You asked him to explain how if they have nothing to do with VOI they have all the connections to VOI on Facebook? His silence now is very interesting. He seems to be avoiding your and my question. Can we then suggest because he does not answer he is behind the company and has funded this operation as way to get them out of jail? The obvious answer is we can’t. We can form an opinion on Martin Lynch though if he refuses to respond.
—–We dont know, I assumed. And it was you DI that asked him to explain his connections to VO on facebook, not I.
Martin, please get in touch here and clear up any confusion on the matter. Who funded BBQ first day? Where did the money come from? Without knowing the facts the mind can wonder….. VO fundraising? Valdes?
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Anyone with half a brain would know all the dots are not connecting here.
The problem Anon is that you have not joined up any of the dots but have added 2+2=5
——Yes, a lot of what I have written has been written without circumstantial evidence. The bottom line is that I do not want people to be used or have their lives ruined by VO. I let my passion for this to overrule my common sense on the matter.
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Marek as a director would of course be able make a profit and take his share from the company. Would he? Would it be 50 50 or would Gary Keogh be taking more than his share?
That is really not our business. They have the right to make whatever decision they wish. The danger in your comments is that you are linking things together without any evidence.
—–I agree this is none of our business. I let my grievance with VO Cork to make me write comments that are in hindsight, have no foundation.
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Because I don’t want Marek to be used. Does he feel he is being coerced by VO or what ever they call it now?
In order to be used you would have to establish this is a front for VOI, currently there is no evidence for that position.
—–I am in full agreement that there is no evidence that Marek is under any sort of duress. For making that statement I apologise to Marek and his colleagues in BadBoysBBQ.
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Marek used to be a chef so are they using him in order for profit?
Your evidence for this statement is?
—–I have no evidence of this and it was wrong of me to make that statement.
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The rte report showed up VO as people who take the addicts money in return for them being forced to fundraiser for 18 hours a day
That is absolutely correct. We know that a similar regime operated in Cork under Martin Lynch and that he decided to break with that abuse and join with the VOI as reformed and break with Valdez and his Freedom Ministries which continues to this day. As far as I know there is no VOI presence in Cork? I assume you live there? Have you any experience of this type of activity continuing in Cork?
—–Yes I live in cork and there is no evidence that VO Cork are in any type of operation whatsoever.
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“This clearly where you have made a logical jump. Nowhere in the article is that claimed. So there must be an objective basis for you to come to that conclusion? The evidence we have is that the BadBoysBBQ company was set up by people who were associated with VOI. In a democratic society anyone of any background has the right to set up a company. You are implying there is evidence that they are in reality under the guise of being BadBoysBBQ operating as VOI.”
I have no evidence that BadBoysBBQ are VO cork, I came to that conclusion based on what i observed at the markets and how these guys interact with each other on Facebook. In hindsight I was wrong to assume they are the one and same.
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Because I saw the damage done by VO Cork in the past I have perhaps been to quick in my criticisms here. I have dealt with people in the rooms of alcoholics anonymous who were previously memebers of VO Cork and they got no treatment whatsoever. One of them had a seizure at the house in watergrasshill due to alcohol withdrawl and they were asked to leave. I was also greatly angered by what I saw on the RTE documentary on VO Dublin and the antics of Valdes. I wish now to address the questions posed to me by Dialogue Ireland. Martin Lynch, if you wish to ask me anything, please do so in this forum
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This clearly where you have made a logical jump. Nowhere in the article is that claimed. So there must be an objective basis for you to come to that conclusion? The evidence we have is that the BadBoysBBQ company was set up by people who were associated with VOI. In a democratic society anyone of any background has the right to set up a company. You are implying there is evidence that they are in reality under the guise of being BadBoysBBQ operating as VOI.
That is absolutely correct. We know that a similar regime operated in Cork under Martin Lynch and that he decided to break with that abuse and join with the VOI as reformed and break with Valdez and his Freedom Ministries which continues to this day. As far as I know there is no VOI presence in Cork? I assume you live there? Have you any experience of this type of activity continuing in Cork?
Your evidence for this statement is?
In order t be used you would have to establish this is a front for VOI, currently there is no evidence for that position.
That is really not our business. They have the right to make whatever decision they wish. The danger in your comments is that you are linking things together without any evidence.
The problem Anon is that you have not joined up any of the dots but have added 2+2=5
How do we know? You asked him to explain how if they have nothing to do with VOI they have all the connections to VOI on Facebook? His silence now is very interesting. He seems to be avoiding your and my question. Can we then suggest because he does not answer he is behind the company and has funded this operation as way to get them out of jail? The obvious answer is we can’t. We can form an opinion on Martin Lynch though if he refuses to respond.
Anon this is really going nowhere. You are reading into this company the actions of the group they were operating out of a couple of years ago. Have you any evidence for the position you are proposing?
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Anon What is worrying to say the least?
What in the post is worrying?
What is worrying is that when I first digested the article it appears that VO Cork now comes under the guise of BadBoysBBQ Maccurtin st. Whether that is a true statement or not, that is what worried me intially.
Can you clarify? The post raises issues it does not state anything as fact.
The rte report showed up VO as people who take the addicts money in return for them being forced to fundraiser for 18 hours a day. Will the employees here be forced to do something similar?
Marek used to be a chef so are they using him in order for profit?
Why are you raising the issue of addicts being involved with a successful company?
Because I don’t want Marek to be used. Does he feel he is being coerced by VO or what ever they call it now?
Marek as a director would of course be able make a profit and take his share from the company.
Would he? Would it be 50 50 or would Gary Keogh be taking more than his share?
Anyone with half a brain would know all the dots are not connecting here.
What hand does Martin lynch and the other pastors have in this? When I saw them at the Christmas market Gary Keogh was the one taking the money and Marek was cutting the meat. Did all the workers that day get paid? Were any of them there under duress?
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Martin Lynch I have reread this comment and other than the strange idea you call yourself Anonymous and then go onto sign your name as Martin Lynch?
Could you clarify what it is you wish to take down as your comment is unclear?
Also if it is an untruth that the your brother and Marek have no connection to VOI/ Freedom why do they have all those guys from VOI as their friends? Answer this point replied to by Anon or clarify what you had in mind?
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Anon What is worrying to say the least?
What in the post is worrying?
Can you clarify? The post raises issues it does not state anything as fact.
Why are you raising the issue of addicts being involved with a successful company?
Marek as a director would of course be able make a profit and take his share from the company.
That is a private issue and is not one that should be raised on a public forum.
You raised an important point with Martin who claimed they had no connection to VOI.
It is also peculiar that Martin Lynch signs himself off as Anonymous when he puts his own name up?
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Martin,
It was never claimed that there was a connection between BBQ and VO, rather that they were involved with VO and the question was asked about them. If they have nothing to do with VO have they renounced Christianity? If so why do they have all the VO stuff on their FB page and why are they friends with current VO’s like Paul Lloyd?
Also is this the Martin mentioned in this post? https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/martin-lynch-volunteered-that-he-was-a-director-of-the-company-behind-vo/
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Martin,
Then why is Gary a director?
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please do so immediately
Martin Lynch
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This is incorrect. Marek has started his own business and come from the streets. Both he and Philip are NOT members of VOI. Please take this down as it is defamatory and not correct.
Martin Lynch
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This is worrying to say the least.
Do they pay their employees or is serving burgers part of their ‘treatment’?
As someone taken in from the streets, is Marek entitled to a share of the profits or is his directorship a smokescreen.
Is he still taking part in a treatment program?
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