A suspended detective superintendent has described as "outrageous and scurrilous" a suggestion that he accompanied alleged informant Ms Adrienne McGlinchey when she collected £2,000 from an individual using a detective's gun.
Supt Kevin Lennon was cross-examining Det Garda Noel Jones, who investigated an allegation by Ms McGlinchey that she, using Det Garda Noel McMahon's handgun and accompanied by Mr McMahon and Mr Lennon, had collected £2,000 from an individual in a car-park.
"It never occurred, it is outrageous and scurrilous," said Supt Lennon. "It resulted in my bank account being inspected, my wife's bank accounts being inspected, my children's back accounts." The effect had been to denigrate his name in the public domain, Supt Lennon told the tribunal.
Det Garda Jones had attempted to identify the individual involved but had been unable to do so.
He said a detective sergeant was mistaken when he told the tribunal last week that none of the information given to him by Ms McGlinchey checked out. Supt Lennon asked Det Garda Jones about a statement he made in July 2000 that he had visited a precision engineering company in Ballybofey to find out if they had received a fax of a cylinder object from Ms McGlinchey in 1993.
Det Garda Jones said he would have to agree Det Sgt John O'Keeffe was mistaken in saying there was no engineering company in the Ballybofey area.
Det Garda Jones said that on September 7th, 1993, having stopped Ms McGlinchey in possession of a metal tube at 3 a.m., he, Det Garda Denis Doherty and Det Sgt Tom Sreenan met Supt John O'Connor.
"Both the detective sergeant and Det Garda Jones were concerned Garda authorities might not be aware of Ms McGlinchey's activities," Supt O'Connor's noted in his report of the meeting.
Mr Brian Murphy, representing Det Garda McMahon, who is also suspended, asked if this meant he regarded Ms McGlinchey as a "serious threat" at the time. Det Garda Jones said he was simply making the superintendent aware of her activities. The tribunal is examining allegations by Ms McGlinchey that, together with Det Garda McMahon and Supt Lennon, she mixed explosives that were later used in bogus arms finds.