THE FINAL reports of the Morris tribunal into allegations of corruption in the Donegal division of the Garda will be published in the next fortnight, bringing to an end the longest inquiry into the force since the foundation of the State.
The seventh and eighth reports were delivered to the Minister for Justice last Thursday and must be published within 14 days unless the Minister applies to the High Court to delay publication.
The seventh report deals with allegations of harassment of 12 people wrongly arrested in December 1996 during the inquiry into the death of cattle dealer Richie Barron and of employees of Frank McBrearty snr.
Gardaí wrongly treated the death of Mr Barron - a hit-and-run victim - as a murder inquiry. The most recent report from the tribunal, published in May, found that several of those arrested were mistreated in custody.
The seventh report will examine the effectiveness of the Garda Complaints Board in dealing with complaints from the families. The eighth and final report deals with allegations of high-level corruption made to two Opposition TDs.
Jim Higgins MEP told the tribunal that in June 2001, he received the allegations in a fax from Frank McBrearty snr and believed they came from Jim Togher, a retired garda. At the time, Mr Higgins was Fine Gael spokesman on justice.
Mr McBrearty snr and Mr Togher deny knowing anything about the source of the allegations, which Mr McBrearty said he received anonymously in the post and forwarded to the TDs.
He also forwarded the allegations to his barrister, who contacted Labour Party justice spokesman Brendan Howlin.
The TDs brought the allegations to the attention of then minister for justice John O'Donoghue, who contacted the Garda commissioner. However, Garda and tribunal investigators found no evidence to to substantiate the allegations.
Several civil cases against the State by the McBreartys were settled at High Court sittings in Castlebar last year.
Mr McBrearty snr and his wife Rosalind settled their cases for a reported €2 million, in addition to an agreement regarding legal costs. Weeks earlier, Mr McBrearty's nightclub firm was awarded just under €2.5 million in compensation. Frank McBrearty jnr reached an agreement in 2005 to settle his case for €1.5 million.