Morris Tribunal: A former Donegal garda has said he received no instructions from his superintendent about the handling of an informant supplying information on crime in the county, including subversive crime.
Ex-garda Mr John O'Dowd was asked by the tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Morris, if his supervisor, Mr Kevin Lennon, was "doing anything in the way of instructing you, keeping you right, informing you how to handle yourself, was he doing anything of that sort?"
Mr O'Dowd said information from his source, Mr William Doherty, was passed on to the superintendent either by phone or by meeting him in his home or office, but apart from advice on what to do after Mr Doherty made a hoax extortion telephone call from his home, the superintendent gave him no instructions.
"So I have this correct," asked the chairman. "He played no function in, I use the expression, holding your hand. All he ever did was receive your information?"
"Yes," replied Mr O'Dowd. He added that he was happy with the information he submitted from the informer. "I believed it was 100 per cent correct."
The tribunal continues in closed session to hear evidence about information from Mr Doherty submitted to Garda HQ on top-secret C77 forms by Mr O'Dowd.
Mr Doherty emerged as a key figure in the tribunal's inquiry into the Garda investigation of the death of Raphoe cattle dealer Mr Richie Barron in 1996, after a key witness in the case withdrew allegations against the McBrearty family, blaming Mr Doherty for putting him up to them.
Mr O'Dowd denied he said "sure, I saw you in Raphoe" to Mr Noel McBride, after the petty criminal was arrested for the theft of an aerial and questioned about the night Mr Barron died.