A disgraced former Garda superintendent today denied trying to take control of an investigation into a "silver bullet" death threat.
A State witness, Bernard Conlon, due to give evidence against the McBrearty family over breaches of licensing laws, claimed he was threatened with a "silver bullet" in his Sligo home by friends of the Raphoe publicans.
It has been alleged that gardaí coaxed Mr Conlon into making up the entire affair as part of a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the extended McBrearty family.
Kevin Lennon, a former officer in Co Donegal, told the Morris tribunal it was ridiculous to suggest he was running inquiries in Sligo.
He said there was no way he would step on another officer's patch, and he claimed he was kept in the dark when an outside team of detectives began to investigate the claims.
But the former superintendent admitted reporting the alleged death threat on a C-9 form to Garda headquarters in Dublin's Phoenix Park, even though the alleged incident did not occur in his division.
Mr Lennon told the corruption inquiry he was only following due process when he passed on the report of the alleged incident. "Maybe I was being over-efficient," he said. But he denied taking control of the investigation.
He said it was normal practice for superintendents in one district to report to headquarters on ongoing investigations in a neighbouring area.
Mr Lennon told the hearing it was unfair for counsel for the tribunal to try to pin the blame for the "silver bullet" affair on him. Mr Lennon said he was the only senior officer trying to protect the McBrearty family and stop the intimidation of them in the late 1990s.
The 'Silver Bulllet' module is investigating an alleged tangle of lies around the arrest and detention of Raphoe men Mark McConnell and Michael Peoples.
The pair were accused of threatening Bernard Conlon, the key witness in the McBrearty after-hours drinking court case, with a silver bullet in July 1998.
Statements about the intimidation and death threat were made to gardai which ultimately led to the arrest of Mr McConnell and Mr Peoples. Mr Conlon eventually admitted the complaint was false and had been made at the instigation of Sgt White.
He was convicted of making false statements against Mr McConnell and Mr Peoples. Sgt White was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Mr Lennon is due to continue his evidence over the next few days before facing cross examination from lawyers representing gardai, senior officers and Mr Conlon.
PA