The former honorary secretary of the Irish Dental Association has told the Employment Appeals Tribunal that he destroyed notes of a meeting which led to the suspension, and ultimately the dismissal, of the association's secretary general.
Dr Roger Grufferty said he destroyed handwritten notes of one meeting and did not take any minutes in others which concerned accusations of misconduct by secretary general Donal Atkins.
Dr Grufferty also excluded Mr Atkins from meetings where evidence was given against him and decided not to alert him in relation to certain allegations out of concern for his health, he said.
Mr Atkins was dismissed last December after 26 years as secretary general. The Irish Dental Association claims that Mr Atkins withheld information from the executive and gave himself an unsanctioned pay rise of more than 16 per cent.
Dr Grufferty said he became aware of a legal action being taken against the dental association by website irishhealth.com for alleged plagiarism, after his 10-year-old son "innocently" gave him post meant for Mr Atkins.
Dr Grufferty said he contacted the organisation's president, solicitor and Mr Atkins's subordinate before contacting Mr Atkins because he "didn't want to cause stress" as Mr Atkins had a cardiac episode some time previously. He asked him to convene a special executive meeting and directed him not to attend. Dr Grufferty said he kept no minutes of this meeting. The executive decided to investigate Mr Atkins's conduct and invited him to a meeting.
Mr Atkins was questioned in relation to the legal case, which he said he was handling, and his salary, which had increased from €119,400 to €139,000. Mr Atkins left the meeting in anger when the question of his salary arose, Dr Grufferty said, and was put on two days' suspension.
Dr Grufferty wrote a report of the investigation but destroyed all handwritten notes relating to the meeting. Mr Atkins was placed on permanent suspension.
Before the disciplinary hearing, a solicitor sent a letter to Mr Atkins saying the executive's confidence in him was shattered and accusing him of "obduracy and arrogance" and of suppressing information.
Dr Grufferty noted that Mr Atkins did not apologise when brought before the hearing. The findings of the disciplinary committee were put before the council of the dental association which voted to dismiss Mr Atkins.
