Disgraced garda attacks tribunal's findings

A disgraced senior Garda officer, found to have set up hoax explosive finds in Co Donegal, told the Morris Tribunal today that he did not accept the findings of its first report.

Superintendent Kevin Lennon claimed he had not been treated fairly and applied for legal aid.

Addressing Justice Frederick Morris as the tribunal resumed following its first devastating report, he said: “You Sir have convicted me on the basis of hearsay evidence, suspicion, innuendo and opinion.”

The damning report found that both Lennon and Detective Garda Noel McMahon had orchestrated arms finds in a bid to further their careers and had lied to the tribunal.

“I do not accept these findings,” Lennon said. “In effect you found me guilty of all the allegations made against me.”

He claimed that in his case the rules of the law had been changed and that he should have been provided legal representation at the cost of the State.

“Fair and balanced procedures were not applied in my case,” he said.

“The results were a forgone conclusion given that I had to defend myself without legal aid or legal representation, and with limited resources.”

Lennon claimed the DPP had considered the same evidence and concluded it was not strong enough to proceed with prosecutions.

He also demanded to know how Justice Minister Michael McDowell had been in a position to state there was “worse to come” and suggested the tribunal’s findings were a forgone conclusion.

He said Mr McDowell had clearly interpreted the report’s findings as direction to sack him, and asked how he appeared to have been made aware of the outcome of modules which had not yet been heard.

The Superintendent has been suspended from the force on a proportion of his pay since August 1 2002.

He told Justice Morris he would no longer be able to support his wife and five children nor could he afford to continue defending himself before the tribunal.

“I will be compelled to look for a job sir,” he said, “which, given the pronouncements on my character I will find difficult to obtain.”

But Justice Morris scorned Lennon’s comments, accusing him of “straying wide of the mark.”

He said: “I have no intention of entering into a debate with you, or with anybody else, in public as to the contents of my report.

“I am absolutely satisfied my findings are correct and I will go no further than that.”

Justice Morris said he had considered interrupting Lennon’s application, which he found had amounted to a debate on the quality of his report.

“I didn’t interrupt because it has been my policy throughout this entire tribunal hearing that everybody should be allowed a full opportunity to say what they wanted to say,” he said.

Justice Morris chose not to comment on Lennon’s apparent claim that he had been denied the opportunity to acquit himself.

He outlined that the superintendent had already been granted legal representation but said it was clear that the powers vested in the tribunal only allowed him to provide an order for costs at the end of a hearing.

“I have granted you representation and can do nothing further for you,” he concluded.