Garda ombudsman undecided over investigating dropped drug charges

THE GARDA Ombudsman Commission says it has not yet decided whether to investigate why drug possession charges against a man were dropped.

Charges of possession of €1.7 million worth of cocaine and heroin against Kieran Boylan (37), from Ardee, Co Louth were dropped at the end of July when the State entered a plea of nolle prosequi in the case against him.

Public representatives including Labour TD Joe Costello had called for the ombudsman to investigate the case “in the public interest” amid suggestions that Boylan was working with gardaí in entrapment operations.

The Garda Síochána Act 2005 allows the commission to investigate a matter if it is considered in the public interest and if it believes a garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings.

Media reports had said the commission had decided not to investigate the case, but a spokesman for the commission said yesterday it has not yet decided whether or not to investigate the matter.

“Taking into account the advice of its senior investigations staff, that while opening a public-interest investigation would offer no operational advantage at this time, the option should remain open and under consideration,” the spokesman said.

“The decision has not been made and we have not closed the door on an investigation.”

Mr Costello welcomed the commission’s comments and said he believed there were prima facie grounds for a full-scale investigation into how a very serious case of drug possession was dropped.

He said he had asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to “do what he said he would do . . . and explain to the public why this case was withdrawn in suspicious circumstances”.

“The last thing in the world we need at this time is to find our fledgling commission becomes discredited because it is not grappling with the issues that arise as they arise,” he said.