Morris tribunal: A "culture of taping" existed among gardaí in Donegal, an assistant commissioner who investigated corruption in the county has said.
Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty told the Morris tribunal that suspended Det Sgt John White wore a recording device during a meeting in a Co Monaghan hotel in October 1999.
"At that stage a culture of taping seemed to have developed in Donegal," Mr Carty said.
"It seemed to be a normal sort of activity for different members of the organisation to go around with tape recorders in their pockets."
Mr Carty said the detective told him that former garda John O'Dowd contacted him the day after cattle dealer Richie Barron died, and said he had a problem. The detective said he later met Mr O'Dowd and Garda Pádraig Mulligan, who told him they were in a pub the night Mr Barron died. Mr Mulligan was on duty at the time.
Tom Murphy, solicitor for Mr O'Dowd, said his client did not know Mr White at the time. "I can only say what Sgt White told me," Mr Carty said.
Paudge Dorrian, solicitor for Det Sgt White, said his client had not said the guards contacted him, but other matters were discussed, including a disputed confession statement to the murder of Mr Barron, purportedly signed by Frank McBrearty jnr.
Private investigator Billy Flynn asked Mr Carty to withdraw an allegation that he (Mr Flynn) bribed a witness, as the witness's evidence was that he never met Mr Flynn.
"I stand by every word in that report. I stand over my conclusions," said Mr Carty. "I have no intention of retracting one word in that report."
Mark McConnell, a cousin of Mr McBrearty, called on the chairman to send a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions after a witness sent in a medical certificate saying he was unable to appear. Mr McConnell said Martin Laird had said he was ill, yet had been working in Raphoe all week.
He said Mr Laird was "a Walter Mitty-type character who would try to ingratiate himself into situations for his own importance".
Mr Laird previously gave evidence that he saw Mr McConnell leaving a pub the morning after Mr Barron died. The statement led gardaí to doubt Mr McConnell's account of his movements.
Mr McConnell said his wife had given her evidence, although she had serious health problems. "She was determined to give her truthful evidence to this tribunal. She had no fear, because she was telling the truth," he said. He called Mr Laird's evidence "pure fantasy".
Donna Quinn testified that Mr McConnell had not been in her public house. She also alleged Sgt White entered the unlicensed, residential part of the premises in February 1997.