The tribunal's scope has widened to examine other gardaí's activities, writes Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Correspondent
When the terms of reference of the Morris tribunal were published, they contained a number of matters which never received the headline treatment afforded to the death of Richie Barron, the treatment of the McBrearty family or the allegations of the planting of explosives to enhance certain Garda reputations.
Yet if these other allegations turn out to be true, they could be equally damaging, as they concern a more widespread tendency to engage in illegal activities in order to further prosecutions in Donegal, irrespective of whether these prosecutions were well-founded. If the individuals concerned were convicted, such convictions would amount to miscarriages of justice.
Already the Court of Criminal Appeal has found that Mr Frank Shortt, who was convicted of allowing drugs to be sold on his licensed premises, was the victim of a miscarriage of justice perpetrated by members of the Garda Síochána in Donegal. He served three years in prison.
He always claimed that drugs had been planted by gardaí, and this view was endorsed by the Court of Criminal Appeal when it upheld his appeal against conviction. The gardaí involved were Supt Kevin Lennon and Det Garda Noel McMahon, who are also accused of involvement in fake "finds" of explosives.
Yesterday's allegations centred on Sgt John White and involved two separate sets of allegations. The first related to what happened to protesters against the erection of a communications mast at Ardara in west Donegal in October and November 1996.
The second relates to the raid on a Travellers camp in Burnfoot, Co Donegal, in May 1998, when a gun was found, and seven people were arrested. Sgt White was involved in both incidents.
On November 7th, 1996, there was an arson attack on property attached to the proposed mast. On November 19th, an object was found taped to the mast. It looked like an explosives device, although on examination it turned out to be no more than an assembly of fireworks.
Gardaí including Sgt White were called and the device was removed to Glenties Garda station, where it was disassembled for forwarding to Dublin. While there, Sgt White took some of its contents away, apparently for testing.
The presence of an apparent explosives device at the mast transformed both the investigation and the powers of the gardaí, as they could now use the Offences Against the State Act.
Mr Hugh Diver and his brother Anthony, prominent anti-mast protesters, were arrested, but both gave accounts of their movements and strenuously denied any knowledge of any explosive.
Former Donegal South West TD Mr Tom Gildea has claimed he was told the device was in fact assembled in the yard of Glenties Garda station, but his source for this claim has never come forward.
A year and a half later, an elderly man was killed in a robbery in his shop in Charlestown, Co Mayo. In Donegal, Sgt White was working with Det Garda Tom Kilcoyne, who was greatly impressed by the latter's experience as a detective.
Sgt White told Det Garda Kilcoyne he had information about the involvement of a group of Travellers camped in Burnfoot in the murder of Mr Fitzmaurice. He also told him they had a gun in the camp.
Supt Lennon issued a warrant under the Offences Against the State Act for the search of the camp. The gun allegation permitted the use of the Offences Against the State Act. A sawn-off shotgun was found during the search and seven people arrested.
Det Garda Kilcoyne has alleged that he and Sgt White planted the gun, which the sergeant denies.
In June 2000, Sgt White was questioned by the Carty team about the gun. This whole matter extends beyond Sgt White. Other gardaí later claimed that two of their colleagues told them they had searched the same spot a few minutes previously and did not find the gun. The two gardaí deny this.
This whole confusing state of affairs raises the question of certain gardaí "manufacturing a defence" for Sgt White. If this is true, the issue is not just about the activities, if proven, of a few "rogue" gardaí.