A former Donegal garda who served in Raphoe during the investigation into the death of Mr Richie Barron has said he decided to tell the truth to the tribunal because he believed in God and his conscience was troubled.
Mr John O'Dowd made two statements to the tribunal at the end of last year in which he admitted for the first time that he knew his informer, Mr William Doherty, had made a hoax extortion phone call from his home in November 1996.
In his statement, Mr O'Dowd said that he told then superintendent Kevin Lennon about the calls within days. The ex-garda said that Mr Lennon later came back to him and told him the calls were "sorted out".
Mr O'Dowd said he was told by Mr Lennon to say he had nothing to do with the phone call. He said Mr Lennon told him to say the first time that the superintendent met with Mr Doherty was not until just before Christmas 1996. Mr O'Dowd also said Mr Lennon told him to change a Garda station diary entry the night the phone calls were made from 10 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Mr Lennon accused Mr O'Dowd of making his story up. "You are prepared to sink me to serve your own sinister purposes," he said.