Morris Tribunal: A senior garda superintendent alleged to have planned bogus explosives finds in Donegal a decade ago has denied keeping information from Crime and Security, the Garda anti-terrorist branch, after he took over the supervision of an alleged informer.
Supt Kevin Lennon, giving evidence to the Morris tribunal for the ninth day, faced cross-examination from Mr Pat Marrinan SC, representing the interests of the Garda Commissioner and certain senior gardaí.
Mr Marrinan asked why the normal practice, whereby C77 forms were submitted about any intelligence on subversives, was abandoned in the case of alleged IRA informer Ms Adrienne McGlinchey. Mr Marrinan said that even information from an unreliable source might take on a significance if it confirmed information from other sources.
"I want to know why you were denying Crime and Security that independent information from the source you had," said Mr Marrinan.
"I wasn't denying it," said Supt Lennon.
"There's no point sending in information until you see are there any developments on it."
Supt Lennon faces disciplinary proceedings as a result of the Carty inquiry, and a sworn inquiry will take place at Letterkenny Garda station on April 20th.
A dismissal order was made following the Frank Shortt appeal in the Court of Criminal Appeal, which Supt Lennon is challenging in the High Court.
The superintendent told the tribunal he was involved in supervising the handling of Ms McGlinchey from September 1993 to July 1994.
The tribunal is looking into claims that Supt Lennon and Det Garda Noel McMahon - both currently suspended from the force - prepared explosives, with Ms McGlinchey, for subsequent use in bogus Garda arms finds. Both gardaí deny these allegations, and Ms McGlinchey denies she was ever an informer or a member of the IRA.
Supt Kevin Lennon told the Morris tribunal he made no inquiries as to who had issued a warrant to search the flat of Ms McGlinchey on March 14th, 1994.
The superintendent told the tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Morris, that he had no input after he received a phone call from Det Noel McMahon during the afternoon that "materials" had been found at the flat, until Det Sgt Des Walsh phoned him at home.
Supt Lennon told the judge he expected the district officer, Supt John P. O'Connor, to look after the matter. "I just told him there were materials found in her flat. I don't know who issued the warrant. Presumably some superintendent. I didn't ask."
Supt Lennon was also asked about a conflict with the evidence of Chief Supt Denis Fitzpatrick regarding an incident where Ms McGlinchey travelled to Strabane to deliver a package of ammunition.
"He says he had conversation with you, and expressed concern that this was allowed to happen," Mr Pat Marrinan for the Garda commissioner, said.
"He had to go to Supt Brown [of the RUC\] and cover over the cracks, apologise for what had happened." Supt Lennon was asked what a diary entry regarding "controlled delivery" meant.
"A controlled delivery is something that you can't control," Supt Lennon said. "You have to take by cross-Border means. You don't have actual control, so you control it by contact with the RUC."