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A senior garda who was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing, a security source has confirmed.
The inspector was arrested as part of a wider investigation into allegations of Garda corruption last May, and suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry.
Following an investigation, a decision has been made by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that the inspector will not face criminal charges.
The inspector remains suspended and may yet be the subject of an internal disciplinary hearing, a security source said.
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The inspector was arrested along with a superintendent and a detective garda last May as part of a wider investigation into alleged malpractice in the force in the Southern Region.
Their arrests follow suspicion that they may have had been involved in the commission of one or more criminal offences. They were all released without charge, pending files to the DPP, and all three were suspended.
The inspector was arrested on suspicion of breaching provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977-84.
The superintendent was detained by gardaí on suspicion of breaching the provisions of section 62 of the Garda Síochána Act, on suspicion of disclosing sensitive information about investigations to third parties. The DPP has yet to decide whether or not charges are to be preferred against the officer.
Disclosing information
The detective a was charged before the courts and has been returned for trial.
Det Garda David Bourke (48), Main Street, Oola, Co Limerick, is charged with receiving a payment for disclosing information to a director of a company that was being investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau (the Cab).
Stephen O’Sullivan (37), Farrehy, Broadford, Co Limerick, is charged with corruptly giving Det Bourke a payment for revealing to him sensitive information concerning a Cab investigation into Bawn Motors. Mr O’Sullivan was a director of the company at the time.
The offences are alleged to have occurred at Bruree, Co Limerick, on December 22nd, 2018.
Det Bourke and Mr O’Sullivan have both been remanded on bail to appear before Limerick Circuit Court next year, to hear a date for their trials.
The wider investigation into alleged Garda corruption is ongoing. A number of civilians have also been questioned as part of the wider inquiry and several Garda stations have been searched.