McBrearty wants probe into lobbying claims
Frank McBrearty Senior today called for an investigation into claims that a member of the Garda Complaints Board lobbied politicians highlighting victimisation in Donegal.
The Raphoe publican asked the Morris Tribunal for a separate module on allegations that an approach was made to Opposition leader John Bruton to tell his justice spokesman to ease off making representations for the McBrearty family.
While cross-examining Jim Higgins MEP, Mr McBrearty Snr said he had written a letter to Mr Higgins in 2001 naming the member concerned and had supplied a copy of the letter to the tribunal.
Mr Higgins, Fine Gael’s former justice spokesman, said he did not recall this and did not know the name of the individual.
He previously told the inquiry that Mr Bruton, Taoiseach from 1994-1997 and currently the EU Ambassador to the USA, had asked him to ease off on the case after he was approached by a member of the board.
Mr McBrearty Snr said that the allegation against the board member was just as bad as the 61 complaints of harassment against the family, which will be investigated in the next module at the tribunal.
“Should not that be in a module of its own Jim?,” he asked.
“I think it is most undesirable that anybody should approach Mr Bruton, whether it is a Garda or a member of the Garda Complaints Board, to ask me to ease off,” said Mr Higgins.
“It seems to me that it is as serious a matter as the Garda matter,” Mr McBrearty said. “There mightn’t have been a tribunal if our complaints had been investigated, you know what I mean?”
Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris said that the incident was not in his terms of reference.
One of the tribunal terms of reference covers how the board dealt with over 60 complaints from the family, who allege they were the targets of a campaign of Garda harassment.
The inquiry is currently trying the establish the source of anonymous allegations which outlined high level corruption among gardaí which are totally unsubstantiated and formed the basis for the Morris Tribunal.
Following these allegations, Mr Higgins and Labour’s Brendan Howlin pressed the Government over an investigation which eventually lead to the setting up of the Morris Tribunal.
