Garda commissioner rejects criticism of the force over alleged collusion with local drug dealer

Kieran Boylan

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has rejected criticisms of the force by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission following its investigation into alleged collusion between members of the force and a convicted drug dealer from Co Louth.

The Ombudsman accused gardaí of delaying its investigation into the Ardee man and expressed serious concern about informant handling procedures.

A report published yesterday afternoon on the force’s covert human intelligence system shows the High Court judge monitoring the system was satisfied gardaí are in substantial compliance.

The Minister for Justice yesterday published the Ombudsman’s “special report” to him, which strongly criticises the garda informant handling procedures, training, management and governance and recommends changes.

The Ombudsman is also seeking independent access to the garda PULSE computer system.

Minister Alan Shatter said after he has received the Commissioner’s observations on the Ombudsman’s report he will convene a meeting to make sure that any difficulties have been resolved.

The Ombudsman Commission accused gardaí of delaying its investigation into the case of Kieran Boylan, a convicted drug dealer against whom further drugs charges were dropped in July 2008.

The public interest inquiry examined the nature of the garda relationship with the drug dealer.

A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who directed that nobody should face prosecution.

The Ombudsman has also decided that no gardaí should face disciplinary action.

The report took the Ombudsman over four years to complete. The DPP took four months to dismiss the report as insufficient to sustain a criminal prosecution.

The commission’s investigation focused on whether or not gardaí colluded with Boylan in the movement and supply of drugs.

The convicted drug dealer faced six charges in connection with the seizure of €1.7m worth of cocaine and heroin at a transport yard in Ardee in October 2005.

He was on bail at the time after he had been caught with €700,000 worth of cocaine and heroin in Dublin and Louth, for which he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.

However, on the last day of the court sittings in July 2008, the 2005 drugs charges against Boylan were dropped without explanation.

The Ombudsman’s investigation into why those charges were dropped also examined the nature of Boylan’s relationship with gardaí.

It sought to establish whether or not he was acting as an informant for gardaí, registered or not.

The Ombudsman investigated whether or not any gardaí knew he was dealing drugs while acting as an informant; if he supplied drugs to other drug dealers and then gave information about those drugs to the gardaí; and whether or not a conviction secured on the basis of such information is now unsafe.

However, the DPP directed that no gardaí should face prosecution and that there was not sufficient evidence to support claims that convictions connected to Boylan were unsafe.

The Ombudsman has accused gardaí of repeated delay and debate and not supplying all the information within the 30-day agreed time frame.

However, it acknowledged that it got all but one of the documents it sought.

Garda Commissioner warns detective’s killers to “keep looking over your shoulder”

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan addressing the media in Dundalk this afternoon

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan today warned Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe’s killers to “keep looking over your shoulder”.

The anniversary of the father of two’s killing at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan takes place tomorrow and despite no one having been brought to justice as yet, gardaí are confident of making arrests soon.

They are confident they have identified the gang responsible for the armed robbery on January 25^th 2013, with the Garda Commissioner telling a press briefing in Dundalk this afternoon that Garda Donohoe’s killers would be brought to justice.

He insisted it is not too late for anyone with information on the killing or the perpetrators to come forward and speak to gardaí confidentially, adding “we will protect you.”

He said: “At this time, I would like to appeal to anyone with information on Adrian’s murder to come forward and assist our enquiries. There are people out there who are shielding the killers and it is not too late for them to do the right thing and tell us what they know.”

Commissioner Callinan also revealed that the investigating team had so far studied 400,000 hours of CCTV footage, taken 2,100 statements and gathered 1,200 items of evidence in their investigation.

The Garda Commissioner and Justice Minister Alan Shatter are expected to attend Garda Donohoe’s anniversary Mass in St Joseph’s Redemptorist Church tonight.

Mr Callinan said the murder of Det Garda Donohoe “had a profound impact not only on his colleagues in Dundalk, but also on the wider An Garda Síochána family.

“It had an impact not only on the lives of those he positively affected in Co Louth through his work, or through his involvement with the GAA community, but also country wide.

“Most importantly, his senseless, cold-blooded murder led to the bereavement of Caroline and their two children.”

Anyone with information in relation to the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe can phone in confidence the incident room in Dundalk Garda Station at 042 938 84 70 or the Garda Confidential Number at 1800 666 111.

Meanwhile, at Dundalk Garda Station

There’s a strong Garda presence in Dundalk this morning for the funeral of Republican Seamus McKenna in Ravensdale.

The 58-year-old died in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin at the weekend, after he was injured in a scaffolding accident while working in Dundalk

McKenna was named in a civil case taken by the families of the 29 people killed in the 1998 Omagh bombing. However, he was cleared of any liability in 2009. Four other men – Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly – were found to have been responsible.

Dissident republicans from across Ireland are expected to turn out for today’s funeral proceedings, which begins at the home of McKenna’s son Sean in the Armagh village of Silverbridge. The funeral procession will travel across the border to St Mary’s Church, Ravensdale for Mass at 11am, with burial afterwards in the church cemetary.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said on Monday that no paramilitary displays would be tolerated at the funeral and the number of Gardaí deployed to Dundalk suggests they are anxious to avoid the situation of last year when a number of shots were fired in the air ahead of the funeral of Real IRA member Alan Ryan’s funeral in Donaghmede in Dublin.

Previously: IRA tribute to be banned from McKenna funeral

IRA tribute to be banned from McKenna funeral

Seamus McKenna

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has warned that his force will not allow a paramilitary display at the funeral of Omagh bomb suspect Seamus McKenna.

Mr McKenna died on Sunday after falling from scaffolding while carrying out repairs on a school outside Dundalk last Wednesday. He sustained serious head injuries and was transferred from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda to Beaumont where he was placed on life support.

Gardai are concerned that attempts will be made by dissident republican groups to stage a paramilitary display at his funeral in Ravensdale tomorrow. His remains were removed last night from his son’s home to a funeral home in his native Silverbridge, Co Armagh.

Police on both sides of the Border suspect that Mr McKenna was linked by a mobile phone to the Omagh atrocity, which killed 29 people in August 1998. But he was never charged in connection with the bombing.

Mr McKenna was also one of five people sued in a civil compensation case by the families of the Omagh victims. But he was cleared by the judge. The families won their case against the other four defendants, including the founder member of the Real IRA, Michael McKevitt.

At a garda reserve graduation ceremony in Templemore, Co Tipperary, Mr Callinan firmly laid down a marker for the dissidents: “There is one army in this country and there is one policing service. We will ensure that position remains.

“We do not like being present in any large numbers at a particularly sensitive time when people are burying their loved ones but we will not allow any display of paramilitarism,” he said.

Source: The Irish Independent

Previously: Omagh bomb suspect McKenna dies after fall