Judge Curtin’s financial records now being targeted by inquiry

THE Oireachtas committee inquiring into Judge Brian Curtin has now turned its attention to obtaining his financial records, following the official handover of his computer yesterday.

The all-party committee, chaired by Fianna Fáil TD Denis O’Donovan, yesterday officially took possession of the computer, which allegedly contains images of child pornography.

The handover followed an 18-month legal wrangle that culminated in a Supreme Court ruling last march which upheld the view of the committee that it was entitled to take possession of the computer.

Another key element of the inquiry will be an examination of the judge’s financial records, including credit card transactions.

This will enable it to establish whether or not the judge subscribed to the Texan website at the centre of the worldwide police operation which led to the launch of Operation Amethyst in Ireland.

There are still issues to be resolved between the committee and the judge’s legal team in relation to this documentation.

Yesterday, Mr O’Donovan welcomed the development.

“An examination of the computer will now be undertaken by technical experts on behalf of both the committee and of Judge Curtin over the coming weeks,” he said. In the next stage of the inquiry, the experts will each take a ‘mirror image’ of all information and software on the computer.

Both sets of experts are expected to report back to the committee in the next six weeks. Formal hearings by the committee have been earmarked to commence in early July. Last month, the committee agreed that Judge Curtin’s legal costs during this process will be borne by the State.

The judge was acquitted on charges of possessing child pornography in April 2004 after it emerged the warrant used by gardaí to seize the computer was out of date.

The computer has been in the possession of the gardaí for four years now.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, the judge, through his legal team, agreed to hand over the computer.

The committee must complete its work before the next general election, otherwise the impeachment motion against him will lapse.

The judge, who has been on full pay since the controversy came to light, will then be entitled to retain his position until retirement age.

One argument that may be advanced on behalf of the judge is that his computer was infected by a Trojan Horse virus that downloaded incriminating images without his knowledge.