A retired detective superintendent said it was outrageous that a suspended sergeant who admitted mistreating two suspects should try to blame him and another officer.
Joseph Shelly said Det Sgt John White should take responsibility for his own wrongdoing. He said Det Sgt White was trying to apportion blame on him and John McGinley, another retired detective superintendent.
Mr Shelly denied he had told Det Sgt White to take a strident and aggressive attitude and "break" suspects who were arrested in December 1996 in connection with the death of cattle-dealer Richie Barron.
He said that was Det Sgt White's mindset but it did not justify him going beyond the rules and regulations and he certainly did not ask him to do it. Det Sgt White knew what the regulations were and how he should conduct himself.
"That he now comes to this tribunal and in this manner tries to blame me or John McGinley or somebody else is outrageous," he said. "He has to take responsibility for his wrongdoing. He shouldn't come in here and attempt to lay it off on somebody else."
The tribunal is looking into the arrest of Katrina Brolly, one of 12 people interrogated. Det Sgt White and Det Garda John Dooley have admitted they mistreated Mrs Brolly and her sister, Róisín McConnell, on December 4th, 1996, at Letterkenny Garda station.
Tribunal lawyer Paul McDermott SC said Det Sgt White claimed Mr Shelly had instructed him to "break" Mrs McConnell.
"I've heard that allegation and I absolutely refute that," Mr Shelly responded. "I did not use that expression and I never said it to him and I want to be absolutely clear about that."
The function of Det Sgt White was to interview people in a fair and proper manner. He got no other direction from him or anybody else, he said.
Mr Shelly said he did not suggest to Det Sgt White or anybody else that they show postmortem photographs of Mr Barron to Mrs Brolly and Mrs McConnell in the manner that had been alleged.
"I think it was totally inappropriate to do so and I also apologise to the ladies that they were used in that manner. It shouldn't have happened and it got no sanction from me or anybody else."
Mr McDermott said Det Sgt White had said he told him to use the photographs to shake up interviewees.
"I did not suggest that to him. I do agree there was frustration there but if it was there, it was on Det Sgt White's behalf and not the people in the incident room.
"So if he was frustrated and he used those tactics, I or anybody else can't be held responsible for it and I won't be. . . I say in the strongest possible terms that what he's saying is totally untrue."