SGT John White, Detective Garda Thomas Kilcoyne, Mr Christopher Ward, Mr Hugh Diver, Mr Tom Gildea TD
SGT JOHN WHITE:
Sergeant White was implicated in two sets of allegations yesterday - that he was involved in planting an apparent explosives device at a tellecommunications mast, near Ardara in west Donegal, and that he was involved in planting a gun at a traveller encampment at Burnfoot, Co Donegal, leading to a number of arrests, in 1998. He strenuously denies the allegations
DETECTIVE GARDA THOMAS KILCOYNE:
He worked closely with Sergeant White in Donegal, and claims he was with him when the latter planted the gun at the Traveller encampment in Burnfoot. He also described how Sergeant White came to suspect the Travellers of involvement in the murder of an elderly man, Edward Fitzmaurice, in Charlestown, Co Mayo, some weeks earlier.
MR CHRISTOPHER WARD
Mr Ward is a member of the Traveller community who has come forward as one of the informants Sergeant White referred to as his source for his suspicions about the involvement of the Travellers at Burnfoot in the Fitzmaurice murder. Mr Ward agrees he spoke to him about them, but denies he ever said they had anything to do with that attack.
MR HUGH DIVER
Mr Diver, his brother Anthony and their brother in law Mr Bernard Shovlin were all prominent protestors agains the mast at Ardara. The Diver brothers were arrested following the find of an apparent explosive device at the mast, which allowed the use of the Offences Against the State Act during the investigation. They strenuously denied any involvment with the device or other illegal activity, and were released.
MR TOM GILDEA TD:
The former Independent TD (below ) was spokesman for a group of protestors opposed to the erection of the mast near Ardara.
Following the "find" of the apparent explosives device at the mast in November 1996 three leading members of the protest group were arrested.
Compiled by Carol Coulter