Morris TribunalA series of alleged bogus arms finds in the early 1990s were located in south Donegal because experienced Border detectives in the north of the county would have questioned their authenticity, the Morris tribunal heard.
"It's an observation I make, and I find it strange that it's far away from Buncrana that these finds occur," Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick told the tribunal. "I think in hindsight they might have been more inquiring than the detectives down south."
"They'd go into it in more detail," he added. "There was more experienced detectives in Buncrana and around Letterkenny."
Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick served as superintendent in Letterkenny between 1992 and 1994.
He was questioned about a statement he made outlining his belief that suspended Supt Kevin Lennon "misled" gardaí about a series of explosives finds in Donegal during the early 1990s.
Chief Supt Fitzpatrick told the tribunal that Supt Kevin Lennon and detective Noel McMahon were experienced officers.
The tribunal is examining claims that alleged informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey, together with Supt Kevin Lennon and Det Garda Noel McMahon, prepared explosives for subsequent use in bogus arms finds. Both officers deny those claims, and Ms McGlinchey says she was never an informer.
In September 1993, Supt Lennon brought in a finned "cylindrical object", apparently a prototype of a new device the Provisional IRA was working on.
Chief Supt Fitzpatrick said he never heard of any similar object until 1999, when Ms Sheenagh McMahon, Det Noel McMahon's wife, produced them to the Carty inquiry team.
Mr Paul McDermott SC, for the tribunal, asked: "In terms of feeling misled in relation to this, as I understand your evidence, it's in relation to the fact that it ultimately emerges that there appear to have been more than one of these things and Mrs McGlinchey seems to have had in her possession on different occasions somewhat similar objects."
"I didn't know that," replied Chief Supt Fitzpatrick. "I was firmly led to believe that there was one item, one of these, and that was the only item and that was taken from Mrs McGlinchey for a short period and it was given back to her. I accepted that and that's what I was led to believe and that's what I believed."