Former garda denies role in false bribery claim

A former garda officer today denied he was involved in a false allegation of bribery against a private detective hired by the McBrearty family to clear their name.

Detective Sergeant John White said he had not told a witness in a licensing case against the McBrearty family in Raphoe to allege he had been offered a bribe to withdraw his evidence about them.

Bernard Conlon, who was a witness in a "found-on" case against the McBrearty’s, has claimed he was put up to making the allegation against private detective Billy Flynn by Det Sgt White.

Det Sgt White today told the Morris Tribunal into garda corruption in Donegal he had nothing to do with the bribery allegations and had not told Mr Conlon to make them.

“It’s a complete lie and its been going for five and a half years and it’s difficult it’s really frustrating in the worst way,” he told the tribunal.

“Unless I used telepathy I could not get into Bernard Conlon’s mind to make these false claims because there was no telephone contact before that for quite a long time,” he said.

“Without the use of telepathy I couldn’t have put this into Mr Conlon’s mind. I didn’t, I had nothing to do with it.

“I certainly would not get a criminal like Mr Conlon to make a false allegation against a man like Mr Flynn for any reason because it would go to court and my career would be over,” he added.

“I had nothing to do with it before, during or afterwards, and that’s the strongest I can put it.

“I did not have anything to do with it. Mr Conlon did it of his own accord and tried to blame me afterwards,” he said.

Det Sgt White also said the alleged bribe claims which were made by Mr Conlon to gardai in his home town of Sligo after he had phoned the detective sergeant in Letterkenny were not taken very seriously.

“It was a bit of a laugh or a bit of joke among members.

“The brief discussion I had with members at Letterkenny was that nothing to do with Mr Flynn was taken very seriously. Conlon was a small time witness in a small case,” he said.

Mr McDermott asked: “Was it a bit of a joke about how Sligo had been sucked in by this man Conlon?

“Not at all. We didn’t take Mr Flynn seriously,” Det Sgt White replied.

At today’s hearing the chairman Judge Frederick Morris made a direction that garda John Nicholson, who has been questioned in relation to events surrounding Mr Conlon giving evidence in the found-on case, was fit to be re-examined by the tribunal.

He also said the Garda Representatives Association (GRA) no longer represented Mr Nicholson, after the former garda turned down an offer of free representation.

“I want to direct that the Registrar would write to Garda Nicholson and inform him that nothing before me indicates that he is under any disability that would preclude him from attending at the tribunal and representing himself.

“He is, so far as I am aware, perfectly capable of attending, chooses not to, and I don’t see that the tribunal should be discommoded by his election to do that,” Mr Justice Morris said.