Retired Garda Owen Corrigan
Mr Justice Peter Swithwick has reserved judgment on the application by retired garda Owen Corrigan for his costs arising from the tribunal.
The former detective sergeant was one of three former gardaí who were investigated by the tribunal to see if they colluded with the IRA in the murder of two senior RUC officers.
Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan died after they left a meeting at Dundalk Garda Station in March 1989.
The tribunal found that there was collusion, but said it was impossible to identify who had leaked the information about the meeting to the IRA.
Mr Justice Smithwick concluded that Mr Corrigan’s evidence was evasive, inconsistent and not credible.
He also concluded that Mr Corrigan had had inappropriate dealings with the IRA.
The decision comes just days after a group of retired senior gardai submitted a report to government criticising the findings of the Smithwick Tribunal in an unprecedented challenge to a State tribunal by former members of the force.
The senior officers are questioning the tribunal’s conclusion that gardai colluded in the IRA murder of the two RUC officers in South Armagh in 1989.
Judge Peter Smithwick concluded that on the “balance of probabilities” there was garda collusion in their deaths – but he was unable to identify possible culprits.
The retired gardai are understood to be deeply unhappy with the judge’s findings. They commissioned a lengthy critique of his report and submitted it to the Government this weekend.
Source: RTÉ News.
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