A senior detective investigating claims of Garda corruption in Co Donegal believes that two former Opposition justice spokesmen abused Dail privilege to blacken his name, the Morris Tribunal heard today.
Counsel for the Morris Tribunal, Mr Peter Charleton SC, today said Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty who led the investigation into Garda misconduct allegations believes there was an "orchestrated campaign" to destroy his good name.
The two politicians, Labour TD Mr Brendan Howlin and Fine Gael senator Mr Jim Higgins (a TD at the time he made the claim in June 2000) this evening rejected the allegation, saying they presented information they had received to then Minister for Justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, but did not publicly name the gardai in question.
Mr Higgins and Mr Howlin had said they obtained information from separate sources indicating two investigators with the Carty inquiry into alleged Garda misconduct in Donegal were compromised because they had previously worked with one of the officers they were investigating.
Mr Charleton today said that Mr Higgins received a fax and Mr Howlin, received a telephone call with a number of serious allegations.
The fax alleged that Det Sgt John White used "trumped up evidence" and planted stolen property on individuals in order to secure convictions, when working with the two officers leading the Donegal inquiry, Asst Commr Kevin Carty and Asst Commr Tony Hickey.
Det Sgt White was one of the officers investigated by the Carty inquiry.
The Garda Commissioner appointed another Assistant Commissioner, Mr Fachtna Murphy, to inquire into the TDs allegations but found no supporting evidence.
Mr Charleton today said it would be a "serious situation" if the Carty investigation team had been "handicapped through a conflict of interest" but said he had no evidence to support the TDs' claims.
"At this time, we cannot point to anything to indicate a failure to follow appropriate lines of inquiry, any lack of thoroughness or any absence of determination to follow through the investigation of an issue to its logical conclusion," he said.
He also read out part of statement given by the Asst Commr Carty two years ago: "I have absolutely no doubt that the allegations disclosed by Deputy Higgins and Deputy Howlin are made with malicious intent with the sole purpose of assassinating my character and good name.
"I find it most distasteful that elected public representatives have taken it upon themselves to destroy my reputation in a cowardly manner by hiding behind whatever legal privilege is afforded to them by their position in public life.
"I am quite prepared to stand in any forum with Mr Higgins and Mr Howlin and answer whatever allegations they wish to make as long as I am provided with the basic constitutional right of defending myself. At the moment my character and good name has been destroyed and I have not been allowed any opportunity to defend myself."
Mr Howlin and Mr Higgins tonight issued statements in defence of their position, with the former saying both he and the Labour TD had acted in a restrained and responsible fashion".
"We did not go public with on the information or put the names of those involved into the public domain ... Therefore the accusation that we abused or hid behind Dáil privilege is both unfair and untrue," Mr Higgins said.
The tribunal continues in Dublin next Tuesday with the hearing of applications for representation.