Senior prison union figure tracked
A senior figure in the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), suspected of smuggling drugs into jail, had a tracker device placed on his family car as part of a covert surveillance operation.
According to a whistle-blower, a private detective agency was retained to fit and monitor the device on the car and a log was kept of the man’s movements outside the prison for up to a year.
In the latest details leaked from a sworn affidavit handed to Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, the whistleblower claims that the official was targeted because he was suspected of smuggling drugs into a prison where he worked.
The tracking device was fitted outside the target’s home. It had to be changed frequently because it had a relatively short battery life, so the prison officer’s vehicle had to be constantly accessed.
The whistleblower also claims that he was asked to gather details of the man’s family and close friends. These were handed over to the private detectives to help them access the man’s car without being detected.
The device was used to possibly identify who the prison officer met up with and was kept on the car for 12 months.
The whistleblower has also stated that he personally gathered information from this monitoring and passed it on to gardaí.
The Irish Examiner has established that the prison officer targeted has never been charged with any drug-related offences and continues to work in the prison service.
The whistleblower who made the explosive claims about covert surveillance in the country’s jails has also raised concerns about how deaths in prisons are dealt with.
On Thursday, Mr Flanagan asked the Inspector of Prisons to conduct an inquiry into the claims under Section 31 of the Prisons Act 2007.
However, the solicitor acting on behalf of the whistleblower has written to the Minister for Justice stating the Inspector of Prisons, under the act, does not have the required legislative power to properly investigate the claims.
These concerns have been echoed by the POA, which said the allegations should be investigated by the gardaí.
The POA said it was concerned about any practice that could impact on the safety and security of its members.
Under the act, inspectors can access “books, record, other documents or extracts therefrom kept there within a prison”. This provision does not cover access to documents kept in other locations, such as the headquarters of the Irish Prison Service.
The Irish Examiner understands that any record of the activity in the allegations would most likely not have been kept in a specific prison. This calls into question the power of the inspector to conduct the kind of examination that the minister said he was requesting.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil Justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan has said the investigation must be thorough.
“The preliminary statutory investigation to be conducted by the independent Inspector of Prisons, Patricia Gilheaney, must cover every element of the allegations,” said Mr O’Callaghan.
“Therefore, the minister must guarantee that every necessary resource is provided to the Office of the Inspector of Prisons to conduct this investigation in a timely manner.
“It is essential that a comprehensive investigation and report are completed as soon as possible”.
