Probe of serious abuse claims made by Garda ‘whistleblowers’

AN assistant Garda commissioner has been appointed to lead an official investigation into alleged activities of certain gardaí in Co Cavan.

The probe is understood to centre on claims that Garda members in the district failed to investigate serious crimes, including false imprisonment.

The startling complaints were made through the Garda whistleblower system set up in the wake of the Garda abuses in Donegal.

Under the system, garda and civilian members of the force can pass on claims of malpractice or corruption involving other gardaí in confidence to an independent person.

This person, called the external confidential recipient, is Brian McCarthy, former secretary general to the President.

This appointment is made by the minister for justice.

While the whistleblower charter was set up in April 2007, it only started functioning in June 2008.

After receiving reports of the claims concerning gardaí in Cavan, Mr McCarthy is understood to have informed Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy.

Under legislation governing the whistleblower system, the Garda Ombudsman Commission, which investigates external complaints from the public about gardaí, was also informed.

The nature of the claims could not be confirmed yesterday, but are reported to deal with an alleged failure to investigate crimes, including one of false imprisonment.

The allegations centre on certain gardaí based at Bailieboro Station, which is a district headquarters in Cavan and part of the Garda Northern Region.

A Garda spokesman yesterday confirmed an official internal inquiry was under way.

“An assistant commissioner has been appointed to investigate alleged issues raised in relation to certain gardaí in Bailieboro station,” said the spokesman.

It is understood that the assistant commissioner is external to the northern region and is based in Dublin.

He will have a small team of investigators, also from outside the region, to conduct the investigation.

They will examine the claims, talk to those involved, leading to interviews of the gardaí complained.

The new system was set up following recommendations by the Morris Tribunal for a confidential whistleblower within the force to prevent the type of Garda abuses that took place in Donegal in the 1990s.

As well as Mr McCarthy, Commissioner Murphy has also appointed nine internal confidential recipients.