Morris Tribunal: A Donegal garda has said he told senior officers the name of a witness. However, they say the witness was only known to them as "Mr X" until after he was arrested during the investigation into the death of cattle dealer Mr Richie Barron.
In a statement made last Thursday, Garda John O'Dowd said that he was "drip-fed" information by his informer, Mr William Doherty, about what the witness might have seen, which he passed on to garda conferences.
But Supt Joseph Shelly told the tribunal: "I can't remember that happening. To say that there was information coming back on a piecemeal basis, I can't recall anything like that.
"If there was information drip fed in any fashion I'd remember it. The first I remember was the statement being taken."
Garda O'Dowd said that when he learned the name of the witness, Mr Noel McBride, he passed this on to investigators. He said that Sgt Martin Moylan suggested making a series of arrests of local criminals in order to cover the arrest of Mr McBride for questioning .
Garda O'Dowd also said that Supt John McGinley knew the name of Mr McBride.