Key Morris Tribunal garda to retire

ONE of the key garda figures in the Morris Tribunal into garda corruption is to retire from the force.

Superintendent John P O'Connor, the officer in charge of the Buncrana district, will leave the force from September 1, a statement from the garda press office said last night.

Supt O'Connor met the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy earlier yesterday to discuss the Module 1 Report of the tribunal.

"During the course of this meeting, Superintendent O'Connor gave notice of his intention to retire from An Garda Síochána," said the statement.

One of the findings of the tribunal is that Supt O'Connor had attempted to play down his role in events in Donegal during his evidence to the tribunal, behaviour which it deemed disingenuous.

Giving evidence to the tribunal earlier this year, Supt O'Connor said it was not his responsibility to assess the value or credibility of alleged informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey as a source of information on subversive activity.

Supt O'Connor was also asked if the pattern of arrests of Ms McGlinchey, with five in 1991, six in 1992, two in 1993 and only one in 1994, meant she was being protected.

"If that fell on my desk now down in Tralee, I certainly would be looking closer at the situation," he said.

Supt O'Connor, the district officer in Buncrana from 1993, said he was told Detective Noel McMahon was handling Ms McGlinchey, and no one else was to interfere with her. However, Supt O'Connor said he was not responsible for such a "hands-off policy".

Supt O'Connor said he had accepted that Ms McGlinchey was an IRA informer. It was found that he "kept himself well away" from Ms McGlinchey, and failed to investigate the concerns some of his officers had about her credibility.

Last week, another key tribunal figure also decided to retire early.

Chief Superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick, head of the Garda's national traffic bureau, made the announcement after a similar meeting with the commissioner.

Chief Supt Fitzpatrick was found by the Morris Tribunal to be "gravely at fault" for not properly investigating the activities of Supt Kevin Lennon, Detective Garda Noel McMahon and Ms McGlinchey.