Treatment of whistleblowers may have put senior gardaí in breach of law

Transparency International has written to the Garda Commissioner suggesting senior management in the force may be in breach of the law over how whistleblowers have been treated.

The anti-corruption body alleges two whistleblowers in the force have been subjected to measures including denial of the right to work and unwarranted stop and search by fellow officers.

The letter refers to the two, who came forward with allegations of malpractice, including the operation of the penalty points system. One, John Wilson, retired last year. The other is a serving sergeant, who, Transparency International’s chief John Devitt said, has been subject to “unwarranted formal and informal sanctions by colleagues and Garda management”. As reported in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, both whistleblowers had disciplinary action taken separately against them after they came forward with allegations of malpractice.