The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued instructions to bring criminal charges against three gardai and a civilian arising from investigations into corruption in Co Donegal and an assault in Co Westmeath.
It is understood that the civilian, a former soldier, will be charged with making a false report that he overheard two men plotting to attack a Co Donegal cattle dealer, Mr Richard Barrons. Mr Barrons was found dead from multiple injuries at Raphoe, Co Donegal, on October 14th, 1996.
A Garda sergeant is expected to face a charge of "aiding and abetting", an offence which carries a sentence of up to five years.
The Garda Press Office last night confirmed that the DPP had issued instructions. These were being studied and "will be implemented in the very near future".
The DPP recently decided that no criminal charges would be brought in relation to allegations of harassment of the McBrearty family, who claim gardai tried to frame them for the killing of Mr Barrons.
The charges against the civilian are expected in the coming weeks. He may then become a State witness in the case against gardai in Donegal. The initial charges are understood to concern allegations that gardai concocted a statement in an attempt to implicate members of the McBrearty family in the killing of Mr Barrons. It is believed that Mr Barrons died in a hit-and-run accident.
The McBreartys claim to have subsequently become the subject of false allegations and harassment by gardai. Two members of the family were arrested by gardai, but were not charged. Gardai attempted to establish a case that Mr Barrons was beaten to death.
The circumstances in which Mr Barrons died remain unexplained. Two gardai have refused to give statements about their movements on the night of his death.
The Donegal inquiry, the largest in the history of the force, also concerns allegations that gardai manufactured explosives from fertiliser and sugar and planted bags of this in parts of Donegal and in Strabane, Co Tyrone.
There were also allegations that gardai planted drugs in a dancehall belonging to Mr Frank Short at Quigley's Point, Donegal, on August 3rd, 1992.
Mr Short was convicted of allowing drugs to be sold on his premises and served three years in prison. His sentence was overturned on November 20th last and he is now suing the State for wrongful imprisonment and loss of earnings.
Meanwhile, following a separate investigation in Co Westmeath, two gardai are to appear in court next month on assault charges arising from an incident in Athlone last July in which a local man alleged that he was assaulted during an arrest. The summonses were issued under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.