The investigation by the Carty inquiry into a suspended Garda sergeant was "botched", the third day of his trial at Letterkenny Circuit Court has been told.
The Carty inquiry was an internal Garda investigation into alleged corruption in the force in Co Donegal
Sgt John White, Dreenan, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, is charged with three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice and three of making false statements to gardaí in 1998. It is alleged Sgt White got Mr Bernard Conlon to make false statements implicating two of the McBrearty family in a crime in July 1998.
Mr John Whelan SC, for Sgt White, noted discrepancies in Mr Conlon's statement to the Carty team. Sgt White was charged, and it emerged that a number of elements in Mr Conlon's statement implicating Sgt White were not checked. These had the potential to corroborate Sgt White's denial that he instructed Mr Conlon to make the false statements.
Supt Tadgh Foley of the Carty team said that, despite discrepancies in Mr Conlon's 27-page statement, there had also been corroboration of elements in it.
"The whole investigation was botched with no inquiry made into the veracity and character of Bernard Conlon," Mr Whelan said. He asked why Mr Conlon was believed. "Is there an agenda because John White was becoming too much of an embarrassment?"
Mr Whelan added: "He was too good a detective, and it was the aim of the Carty team to put him out of circulation. Are you sure this is not just a set up against John White?"
Supt Foley replied that nothing could be further from the truth.