Four gardaí and a private citizen facing charges in alleged corruption investigation

Five people, including four serving Garda members, are set to face charges in the courts arising from a lengthy Garda investigation into allegations centred on perverting the course of the justice system.

All five appeared by appointment separately at a Garda station on Thursday to be arrested and charged.

“As part of an investigation led by the Assistant Commissioner, Organised and Serious Crime (OSC) into alleged corruption in public office, four members of An Garda Síochána based in the south of the country and a private citizen were arrested and charged today with offences relating to perverting the course of justice,” a Garda spokesman said.

“This follows directions being received from the Director of Public Prosecutions. All five individuals have been released on station bail and are due to appear before Limerick District Court on the 14th May 2021.”

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It is understood the charges relate to allegedly perverting the course of justice, specifically penalty points being imposed on drivers’ licences and the appearance of those drivers before the courts.

The investigation, which is ongoing, has been carried out by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) and a total of 11 Garda members have been suspended from duty while the inquiry continued.

Last November, eight of the Garda personnel were suspended on the same day. One of the total 11 Garda members suspended, which includes senior officers, has since retired from the force.

Just over two years ago, it emerged gardaí had begun an investigation into allegations that confidential information about an ongoing inquiry by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) had been leaked to the suspects under investigation.

Members of the Garda were arrested and questioned about the alleged leaking of information.

The inquiry into the alleged disclosure of information to suspects by Garda members also began examining allegations that some members of the force had aided motorists to avoid incurring penalty points on their licences for various motoring offences.

A businessman and a Garda member are already before the courts having been charged with offences that arose from the same investigation.

The NBCI investigation has examined an alleged pattern in which prosecutions in the courts for motoring offences had not succeeded. The inquiry has also sought to establish whether the failure of many similar cases was identified and reviewed by Garda managers.