Morris Tribunal
Gerard Cunningham
The former senior garda in the Buncrana district has completed his evidence after four days before the tribunal into alleged Garda corruption in Donegal.
Supt John P. O'Connor was cross-examined about his role in two requests for search warrants for the flat of alleged informer, Ms Adrienne McGlinchey.
On Thursday, tribunal investigator Mr Michael Finn spoke to retired sergeant Des Walsh about evidence given by the superintendent that he did not issue a search warrant in 1994.
On March 14th, 1994, Ms McGlinchey's flat was searched after the landlord contacted gardaí about unusual items he discovered there when he was called to repair a leak.
Mr Walsh said Supt O'Connor had given him the search warrant. "I still stick by my story that Supt O'Connor was waiting for me when I came on duty, and that he briefed me in relation to the crescent and I asked for a warrant and he gave me a warrant."
"Absolutely not, my lord, I deny that, I reject it," Supt O'Connor said.
In his statement to the tribunal investigator, read into the record by Mr Peter Charleton SC, Mr Walsh said that "at the time Det Noel McMahon was upstairs with me. To the best of my recollection Supt O'Connor called me over to his office and gave it (the warrant) to me there."
He added that Det McMahon "would have been aware of Supt O'Connor's presence".
On Thursday, counsel for Det McMahon told the tribunal that his client had seen Supt O'Connor in Buncrana the evening the search took place.
"Does that in any way shake your recollection in relation to the matter?" Mr Charleton asked.
"No, my lord. I deny what's there," said Supt O'Connor. "I never issued a warrant, and I wasn't aware of it."
He said he was at a conference in Letterkenny that day, and travelled to Dublin on business that evening.
He had not travelled to Buncrana that evening.
Supt O'Connor also said an earlier decision to refuse a request for a search warrant on October 12th, 1993, was made after he consulted Chief Supt Seán Ginty and then Det Insp Kevin Lennon.
The request, by Det Sgt Tom Sreenan, followed information that a member of the public heard unusual noise and saw a gun or walkie-talkie through the window of Ms McGlinchey's flat.
The tribunal is examining allegations that Det McMahon and Supt Lennon prepared explosives for use in bogus Garda arms finds. The two officers have denied those claims, and Ms McGlinchey says she was never an informer.