Disclosures Tribunal: Whistleblower told politicians crime figures were being 'fiddled'

A Garda whistleblower has admitted he gave documents to politicians Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, alleging that crime figures in his district were being "fiddled" downward, amounting to Garda "corruption", a tribunal has heard.

Garda Nicholas Keogh is giving evidence at the Disclosures Tribunal, where counsel for An Garda Síochána are cross-examining him.

The tribunal is in its second week hearing from Gda Keogh, who alleges that a senior member of the Athlone drugs unit, identified to the tribunal as Garda A, was in an improper relationship with a heroin dealer, identified as Ms B, who had a then-estimated €2,500 a week income.

The tribunal, chaired by Judge Sean Ryan, is investigating if Gda Keogh was targeted, harassed or bullied after he made his protected disclosure on May 8, 2014

The tribunal was hearing from Gda Keogh about a robbery case from 2015 that was reclassified by Superintendent Patrick Murray, after the complainant withdrew a statement previously given to gardaí.

Garda Keogh had alleged that this was an example of "fiddling" Garda figures and of "corruption".

Counsel for An Garda Síochána, Shane Murphy SC, said that senior colleagues had agreed with the reclassification, downward from 'robbery from the person' to 'attention and complaints', a non-crime category.

"That doesn't mean he [Supt Murray] can fiddle the crime figures," Gda Keogh told Judge Ryan.

"The injured party made a statement and it is fiddling the figures because there's one less serious crime on the system," said Gda Keogh.

'Other incidents that were reclassified'

Gda Keogh said that the assault "still happened" and that the reclassification to a non-crime was "wrong - it doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"How was the reclassifying - maybe rightly or wrongly, and maybe it is massaging the figures - but how was it targeting you?" asked Judge Ryan.

Gda Keogh said that Supt Murray was still writing to him criticising his work on this "serious" case after Supt Murray reclassified the incident.

Counsel put it to the witness that the allegation of fiddling was very serious. He asked him if he was angry that his superiors had disagreed with him.

Gda Keogh agreed he had spoken to Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, then TDs, and told them it was massaging the crime figures.

"Yes, I spoke to them, and there were other incidents that were reclassified that weren't to do with me. It had got to a stage were the CSO didn't really accept the Garda figures with the amount of fiddling going on.

"It does follow under the term 'corruption' and I printed them off and went to Deputies Wallace and Daly,” he said.

Counsel said he was "wrong" to have done so and drew the tribunal's attention to "a speech in the Dáil that Clare Daly made based on what you said".

'No right of reply'

In her Dáil speech, the tribunal heard, then Deputy Daly said: "We know for a fact that the massaging of the figures is still continuing.

"In recent weeks, in Supt Patrick Murray's station in the midlands and in Athlone we have seen direct evidence of at least eight cases where crimes were written down so that the original crime was reclassified as a more minor matter. There is clear evidence of massaging the figures."

Mr Murphy said that Gda Keogh had "sprung" the matter in the Dáil "to the public, to the country with no right of reply" for Supt Murray.

Mr Matthias Kelly SC, counsel for Gda Keogh, said that "massaging" was Deputy Daly's phrase, not Gda Keogh's.

"I was entitled to do what I did, I did what I did, and I stand by it - it's corruption," said Gda Keogh, adding: "We don't even get the homicide figures right in this country - it's not Mexico!" said Gda Keogh.

Mr Murphy said that Gda Keogh had "no evidence" to accuse Supt Murray of "dishonestly" reclassified incidents or that crime figures were "re-jigged".

"What you did was reckless, irresponsible and revealing," said Mr Murphy, who put it to Gda Keogh that he would criticise those above him in the chain of command if he disagreed with them.

"He [Supt Murray] put this into motion," said Gda Keogh. "I was getting a hell of time from [Supt] Pat Murray at the time. I didn't go on Pulse to find something negative about Pat Murray."

Gda Keogh discovered the incident was reclassified when he checked Pulse, due to the criticisms he received from Supt Murray over his investigation.

Mr Murray asked if documents referring to Gda Keogh as "CR1" made him "proud" that he was the first confidential reporter.

"I only found that out in January 2018," said Gda Keogh. "And it's still going on. It's not like my life over the last ten years has been brilliant. I can't wait for this to be over.

"It's the first commissioner in ten years that the public have confidence in. If Drew Harris had been commissioner when I made my disclosure, we wouldn't be having this tribunal."