Fraud squad chief rejects any role in bugging stations
The head of the garda fraud squad today put up a robust defence of his career and professionalism rejecting any part in the bugging of garda stations.
Detective Chief Superintendent Austin McNally, who had more than 30 years service, faced a barrage of allegations from shamed ex-detective John White.
During a heated two hour cross-examination at the Morris Tribunal, White claimed Det Chief Supt McNally confided in him that bugging was the best kept secret in An Garda Síochána.
“That is total rubbish. John White uses colourful language to make it sound true … he uses the occasion of a quite legitimate meeting or encounter to put his own spin on things,” he said.
“That is totally and utterly untrue. I never made that statement, the matter was never discussed.”
Det Chief Supt McNally also served on the Carty team, the 1999 internal investigation into policing in the Donegal division. He was in charge of the Sligo area at the time.
He also had a distinguished career with the drugs unit in Dublin.
Det Chief Supt McNally also insisted he had never heard of ’boxing’ – an irreverent garda term to get suspects to tell the truth.
The phrase relates to the Catholic practice of confessing sins and allegedly involves officers taping conversations or tricking suspected criminals into talking about their activities.
“If what Mr White is alleging is correct, to think that I, as a senior officer with 26 years service, would suddenly turn around and sacrifice my principles that I had worked for, for so long to engage in this nefarious activity, he is very wrong,” he said.
“And I consider it a terrible slur on all the good people I have served with over the last 30 years.”
Det Chief Supt McNally said he believed everyone had a constitutional right to privacy. He also said a garda should have been on duty during visits, ready to make notes of anything important discussed between suspects and visitors.
As White put forward dozens of scenarios of meetings and conversations the pair had, Det Chief Supt McNally dismissed them as either lies or mistakes.
Confidently the fraud chief continually repeated: “That is totally and utterly untrue Mr Chairman.”
The tribunal is probing claims by shamed ex-detective John White that a visiting room in Letterkenny Garda Station was bugged in 1996 during the botched investigation into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron.
The allegation is supported by two others. Garda Tina Fowley, who broke rank to help uncover corruption, claims she witnessed senior officers talking about using technical teams to try to glean information from suspects.
Retired Garda John Dooley, who last year blew the whistle on systematic abuse of suspects, has claimed he saw White and former garda surveillance expert Joseph Costelloe talking about bugging the station.
