The Garda Commissioner has asked a chief superintendent to conduct an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the acquittal of a Garda informant, Mr Declan Griffin.
Mr Griffin, who was acquitted on Friday of charges that he imported £1 million of heroin and ecstasy into Dublin Airport, told the Central Criminal Court that Det Sgt Denis Palmer asked him to import the drugs. Det Sgt Palmer rejected the allegation and told the court he was "horrified" when he heard that Mr Griffin had been caught at the airport carrying drugs.
A Garda spokesman described as "speculation" a report that the investigation would look at Det Sgt Palmer's evidence that he dropped charges against Mr Griffin without consulting the Director of Public Prosecutions.
On Friday evening, a Garda spokeswoman had told The Irish Times that no inquiry would begin before a decision was taken on whether the verdict would be appealed. However, yesterday a spokesman said the inquiry would go ahead.
Mr Griffin told the court that his relationship with Det Sgt Palmer began when he was arrested in 1993. He said the garda had him released on £1,000 bail on that occasion and said he would "look after" the charges against him. The charges were dropped in exchange for information on petty crime in the Coolock area, Mr Griffin said.
The garda said he had dropped the charges and other detectives had agreed there was insufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution. He accepted he was wrong not to have contacted the DPP.
