Morris Tribunal: The arrest and interrogation of an alleged informer in Buncrana Garda station was a "performance" and a "charade" for the benefit of gardaí who weren't "in the loop" about her status, the Morris Tribunal has heard.
This evidence was given to the Morris Tribunal by Det Garda Noel McMahon, who is at the centre of allegations about bogus explosives finds.
|He faces questions about the search of the flat of his alleged informer, Letterkenny woman Ms Adrienne McGlinchey, a decade ago, and her subsequent arrest and detention.
Det Garda McMahon told the tribunal he and then Det Insp Kevin Lennon had agreed to the scheme when he phoned Det Insp Lennon around midday on the day of the search, March 14th, 1994.
Det Garda McMahon is one of two detectives alleged to have prepared explosives, together with Ms McGlinchey, that later turned up in bogus Garda arms finds. Both Det Garda McMahon and Supt Kevin Lennon, also suspended at present, have denied the claims and Ms McGlinchey has persistently maintained that she never had an informer's role.
Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Frederick Morris asked the detective what he said to his alleged informer, Ms McGlinchey, when another garda, Sgt Des Walsh, was present in the interview room.
Det Garda McMahon said he had asked her about activities at a Provisional IRA safe house and "things like that". He agreed with the chairman that his questioning was "a performance for the benefit of Sgt Walsh". He also said he "went through the motions of taking notes at some stage".
Ms McGlinchey was also aware that the interview was "a bit of a smokescreen", the detective agreed.
A search of the flat of Ms McGlinchey after a report of suspicious objects by landlord Mr John Mackey was also "a charade" mounted to give the appearance of doing something, the detective said.
Det Garda McMahon told the tribunal that the landlord called to the Garda station to inquire as to what was happening. "Things had to be seen to be done, Garda action had to be seen to be taken." Asked by the tribunal chairman if the search was a charade "mounted for the benefit of Mr Mackey", the detective replied, "Basically what you're saying is correct."
"We had to decommission the stuff, Mr Mackey knowing about it. We had reason to search the flat at this stage and decommission the stuff there and then."