A Donegal musician has complained that a legal representative of the Garda Commissioner implied that his wife had attempted to influence the evidence of a witness at the Morris tribunal.
Mr Mark McConnell and his cousin, Mr Frank McBrearty jnr, were identified as suspects by Donegal gardaí investigating the death of cattle dealer Mr Richie Barron in Raphoe in October 1996.
Complaints from the two men and their families about Garda conduct led to an internal inquiry, and eventually to the establishment of the Morris tribunal.
Mr McConnell said that he had read transcripts of the cross-examination of Ms Wilma Laird by Mr Pat Marrinan SC, for the Garda Commissioner, over the weekend, and claimed that Mr Marrinan "tries to suggest that my wife was interfering with a witness".
In her evidence, Ms Laird said that she saw the McConnells in a café at around 1.30 a.m. on the night of Mr Barron's death, confirming their own account of their movements on the night in question.
"Mr Marrinan tries to imply that my wife was behind Wilma Laird's evidence.
"I wonder would he like to reply to that," Mr McConnell said.
"It's just that me and my wife have been accused over the years of numerous things, and Mr Marrinan is still standing up here at this tribunal trying to say that up to this present day that we're still harassing [ a] witness, and telling them to come to a tribunal and tell lies," Mr McConnell added.
"I'm not saying that he didn't say it, but personally I have no recollection of it," said tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris.
"It's at the very end. He harangued the witness at the very end by asking the witness 'did you have any contact with Roisin McConnell?'" said Mr McConnell, who agreed to outline his complaint in writing.
Earlier, former garda John O'Dowd said Insp (now Supt) John McGinley was present when Mr Noel McBride made a crucial statement to investigators in November 1996.
Mr Michael Durack, for the Garda Commissioner, said Mr O'Dowd had not mentioned Insp McGinley was at the interview until almost a year later, after Mr McBride had retracted his statement. "You wanted to tie McGinley into this," said Mr Durack. "McGinley was in the room. He's running away from everything," Mr O'Dowd replied.