Publican asked employee to 'admit' typing corruption letter, Tribunal told

Donegal publican Frank McBrearty Senior asked a former employee to say she typed a letter containing serious allegations against senior gardai, the Morris Tribunal heard today.

Law student Kathleen Sweeney said she couldn’t remember if she did type up the document when she was working part-time for the nightclub owner during the summer of 2000.

She told the hearings Mr McBrearty Snr called to her house in March of this year and asked her as “a favour” to sign the document saying she was the typist.

Ms Sweeney said although she couldn’t recall the letter she signed it so as the publican would leave her alone that Sunday afternoon.

“To be honest I was extremely tired, I was just after two weeks of solid exams and I was like, right, whatever, here you go, go away now give me an hour’s peace type of thing,” she said.

The letter contained allegations similar to those in a document faxed to Fine Gael Justice spokesman Jim Higgins in June 2000 central to the setting up of the tribunal.

Mr McBrearty Snr claimed that he received the allegations anonymously in the post.