Garda signed 'dodgy' forms for passports, tribunal told

A FORMER Garda sergeant said he signed “dodgy” passport applications thinking they were for men seeking false identities for “messing” with women “up North”, but was never aware they would be used by the IRA, the Smithwick tribunal has heard.

Two detectives who interviewed former Sgt Finbarr Hickey told the inquiry yesterday they believed his claims that, while stationed at Hackballscross in Co Louth in 1995 and 1996, he was asked by retired Sgt Leo Colton to sign several passport applications.

Mr Colton has strongly denied those claims and a file sent to the DPP abut his alleged role in the passports scam led to no charges against him. Mr Hickey was convicted concerning the scam and jailed for 12 months.

Det Sgt Dominic Hayes, who interviewed Mr Hickey in 1998 told the tribunal yesterday Mr Hickey had said he believed Mr Colton wanted the passports for friends who wanted false identities because they were “messing with women up North”.

Mr Hickey said he had never checked the identities of the passport applicants and never met them. While he agreed he had signed passport photographs of two alleged IRA members, Jimmy Fox and Paul Hughes, he said he was unaware of their identities.

The passport probe began after three passports were found in the home of an IRA member. Mr Hickey told investigating gardaí he regretted what he had done and would never have signed the applications had he known they would be used by the IRA.

Det Hayes said he believed Mr Hickey was telling the truth.

The tribunal is investigating suggestions Garda members in Dundalk colluded with the IRA in the murder of two RUC officers in 1989. Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan were shot dead shortly after they left Dundalk Garda station.

The inquiry has been told Mr Colton and Mr Hickey were both in the Garda station on the day of the ambush, March 20th 1989. They and another Garda, Owen Corrigan, all deny collusion.

Yesterday the inquiry was told Mr Colton, in interviews in 1998, repeatedly denied Mr Hickey’s claims. Mr Colton accused Mr Hickey of telling lies and claimed he had money problems and was seeking to set him up, retired Det John Fitzpatrick said.

When gardaí arranged a meeting in Navan Garda station, Mr Hickey urged Mr Colton to tell the gardaí “the truth” about the applications, saying he was “in deep, deep shit” but Mr Colton accused Mr Hickey of being “away with the fairies”.

Retired Det Garda James Hanley said he believed Mr Hickey was “truthful” but “timid” and Mr Colton “belittled” him.

The tribunal also heard Mr Colton confirmed to gardaí that, after his retirement in 1991, he worked for a time with Jim McCann, an amusement arcade owner in Dundalk. When it was suggested by interviewing gardaí that Mr McCann had IRA connections, Mr Colton said Mr McCann was “no Provo”. Mr McCann was never charged with or convicted of any IRA offence, counsel for the tribunal said.