Garda quizzed over leak of Sargent letters

A GARDA has been arrested as part of an investigation into the leaking of letters which led to the resignation of junior minister Trevor Sargent.

Lorraine Manning, a 30-year-old garda based in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was arrested after she arrived by appointment at Lucan Garda Station yesterday morning at 10.20am.

At 4.30pm, her first period of detention was extended by six hours. This was extended for another 12 hours last night. She can be questioned for up to 24 hours in total.

The garda was arrested and questioned by officers who are trying to establish how letters written by Mr Sargent, pleading for a criminal prosecution to be dropped, were passed on to the Evening Herald.

Gardaí, led by Detective John McMahon, have already sought to interview staff at the newspaper and tracked phone calls within the station.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he wanted an investigation into how the documents were released.

Last month, Mr Sargent resigned as a junior minister after he admitted he made the potentially criminal action of communicating with a garda about an active investigation.

He had sought gardaí at Balbriggan to reconsider pursuing a case against Dominic McGowan of Cardy Rock Close, Balbriggan.

Mr McGowan was involved in a fight with his neighbour. He was fined while his neighbour was jailed for four months.

The timing of the leak led to speculation that it was politically motivated to allow Fianna Fáil claim revenge for the Green Party forcing ex-Defence Minister Willie O’Dea to resign.

Mr O’Dea’s departure is also the subject of a Garda probe. Yesterday, he told a newspaper that he had been questioned about the source of information he used to slander a local election candidate, Maurice Quinlivan.

Mr O’Dea said he did not remember the name of the garda he claimed had wrongly informed him that Mr Quinlivan owned a property which had been used as a brothel.