Morris tribunal:A retired detective garda maintained yesterday that a man making allegations of mistreatment against him was motivated by greed to boost a compensation claim he was taking.
Former detective PJ Keating said the allegations were untrue and wrong, and his conscience was perfectly clear.
Mark Quinn alleged at the tribunal this week that Mr Keating treated him roughly when he was arrested and threw him over the bonnet of his car. He also claimed Mr Keating manhandled him at Letterkenny Garda station and showed him bullets while a gun lay on the table.
The tribunal is inquiring into Mr Quinn's arrest on December 4th, 1996. He was one of 12 people arrested on suspicion of involvement in the death of cattle-dealer Richie Barron two months earlier in Raphoe, Co Donegal.
The tribunal found last year that Mr Barron was the victim of a hit-and-run.
Yesterday Mr Keating said: "I know myself I didn't mistreat Mark Quinn. I know who is telling the lies. All these allegations are for one reason only. A claim is going through shortly and these allegations he hopes will stick. It'll boost the takings so to speak. The motivation is very powerful and it is greed."
Mr Keating said he was an easy target. "The allegations are wrong. My conscience is perfectly clear," he said. "I don't go roughing people up or throw people over bonnets of cars. I know who is telling the truth."
The chairman asked why he thought he was an easy target.
"If you look at the allegations I seem to be singled out at all stages," he said.
In four interviews, Mr Quinn did not recall Garda Sgt Joseph Hannigan being there at all. Mr Quinn was given a lift home by Sgt Hannigan, he said. When Mr Quinn left he was on good terms.
"I had no reason to believe there was an allegation of this magnitude 10 years down the line," Mr Keating said.
He said he was at a distinct disadvantage now as he heard about the allegations only two weeks ago. "If I thought there was going to be controversy over his arrest and detention, I would've made copious notes and made a safety net for myself," he said.
It was put to Mr Keating that he had confused Mark Quinn with Mark McConnell, who was arrested as a suspect for Mr Barron's murder, as it was seen by gardaí at the time, and this would account for the level of intervention at the arrest. Mr Keating denied this and said he went out to arrest Mr Quinn.