Disgraced garda challenges former chief

A disgraced former garda superintendent today challenged his former chief to quash rumours he was given a €6,500 bribe.

One-time garda informer William Doherty had claimed ex-officer Kevin Lennon, who headed the investigation into cattle dealer Richie Barron’s death, was paid off while probing a separate case.

Lennon called on the former divisional chief, Denis Fitzpatrick, to put the allegation to bed once and for all.

“Will you go back now to my neighbours, and tell them Kevin Lennon had no involvement in that investigation?” the ex-superintendent asked.

“I’ll tell them,” Lennon insisted: “I’m no longer under the shackles of you boys.” Lennon told the Morris Tribunal into garda corruption his name had been blackened in the media by reports of the alleged bribe.

He was dismissed from the force last summer after the tribunal found he had told lies and orchestrated hoax IRA arms dumps. Mr Fitzpatrick resigned some months later in the wake of the damning findings of corruption among Donegal gardaí.

Mr Fitzpatrick said reports of the alleged bribe were out of his hands.

“I didn’t know it was in the media. I didn’t see it in the media,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

Lennon also claimed he was handed a poison chalice when called to head up the Barron death probe.

He said he picked an entirely new squad of detectives to examine the hit-and-run.

“I wanted a fresh pair of eyes to look at this matter, so that nobody would be contaminated in any way and would not have any knowledge of it,” Lennon said.

“It was a new team, an absolutely new team, not one singular member of my team were involved in the original investigation.” Lennon said his divisional commander was fully aware he requested a new team to ensure a thorough and fresh probe.

“Ah come on chief, it was mine, it was mine, the investigation was mine, the poison chalice,” Lennon said.

Mr Fitzpatrick said he knew nothing about who was on the new team, or why they were drafted in.

“No, I did not agree to it, I said I would give any help that you wanted outside of the district,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“I said if you want them I’d get them for you. Other than that I did not know who was on the team. I did not know that they were replacing others.” For almost a week the inquiry has sat in private session examining secret garda intelligence files.

Mr Fitzpatrick was quizzed for four days about classified C-77 forms which held information on terrorist activities.

The Morris Tribunal is investigating allegations of corruption among gardaí in Donegal. The current module, due to run for another two years is probing the events surrounding the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron in 1996.