Planning officials may now face inquiry

THE Flood Tribunal has not ruled out the possibility that it could examine the motivation of planning officials as part of its investigation into alleged corruption among councillors.

However, Tribunal lawyers stressed yesterday that no allegations had been made against any council official, in particular those who had appeared as witnesses before the planning inquiry.

Tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Feargus Flood, said it was obliged, under its terms of reference, to examine any issue which raised the possibility of planning corruption.