State watchdog may probe Leech contract

THE appointment of Martin Cullen’s €1,200-a-day PR adviser Monica Leech looks set to be the subject of two separate investigations.

The State ethics watchdog announced last night it was considering holding a formal investigation into the contracts awarded controversially to Ms Leech and was legally demanding documents from the Department of the Environment and the Office of Public Works.

The involvement of the Standards in Public Office Commission cast doubt over a separate independent inquiry, as outlined by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.