McBreartys prepared to go to jail in search for justice

Frank McBrearty Jnr, whose family is at the centre of garda corruption allegations in Donegal, has said he and his father are willing to go to jail to secure an extension of the Morris Tribunal's terms of reference.

The Tribunal was established following claims that local gardai harassed the extended McBrearty family over a period of years.

The McBreartys are refusing to co-operate with the inquiry because of its terms of reference do not allow for an investigation into how garda authorities and the Government handled the matter.

The Tribunal, which is expected to last at least two years, has also made no ruling on whether the State would cover the costs of the McBrearty family's solicitors

Speaking this morning, Frank McBrearty Jnr said he feels the Government is trying to cover up something.

"Me and my father are the two men who drove this whole island looking for justice and looking for a public inquiry and this judge has refused to change the terms of reference today and we're prepared to go to jail to get justice," he said.

"The people who we want included in the terms of reference of this Tribunal are the people who passed it and we now want to know what the Fianna Fail Government are covering up here when they don't want the terms of reference changed."

Frank McBrearty Snr said today that the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had promised him before the election that he would do everything in his power to change the terms of reference if the Tribunal made such a request to the Dail.

However, Mr Ahern's Fianna Fail party subsequently voted against an extension motion tabled by Fine Gael's Alan Shatter.