Private eye denies being source of allegation

A private investigator today denied being the author of a shocking tip-off implicating the top brass of An Garda Síochana in corruption and dirty policing.

Billy Flynn, who spent years trying to expose the extent of abuses in the Donegal division, insisted he did not compose a fax now known as the 'Anonymous Allegations' sent to two TDs in 2000.

The PI told the Morris Tribunal they were skilfully presented but that he did not know the source.

"I can assure the chairman that I had nothing to do with the document," he said.

The claims are totally unproven and after being brought to then Minister for Justice John O'Donoghue formed the basis for the long-running inquiry.

They allege two assistant garda commissioners were corrupt and used a now disgraced former Detective Sergeant John White - sacked last year for planting evidence on suspects - to do their dirty work.

They were passed on to Fine Gael's Jim Higgins and Labour's Brendan Howlin in the summer of 2000.

They state White concocted evidence for Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty - who headed the initial garda probe into corruption in the ranks in Donegal - and his former colleague Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey.

The dirty policing allegations involve perjury, blackmail, the cooking up of evidence and the framing of innocent people.

The source of these allegations, at one stage believed to have been a former Donegal-based garda, has never been publicly identified.

Mr Flynn also said he did not believe the author was former Garda PJ Togher a trusted friend of businessman Frank McBrearty Senior.

The allegations also claim gardaí wanted to smash the McBrearty empire - the family business was a pub and nightclub - in the rural town of Raphoe.

The informer said officers were prepared to do a Frank Shortt job - the nightclub owner framed by gardaí and wrongly jailed for allowing drugs to be sold in his club at Quigley's Point, Donegal.

On June 29, 2000 Assistant Commissioner Fachtna Murphy was asked to investigate the allegations and found nothing.

Both Mr Carty and Mr Hickey have denied them.

The 'Anonymous Allegations' module is the second last the tribunal is investigating and is expected to run for several more weeks.