A SENIOR garda in Cork has contradicted a statement issued by Garda Headquarters about an investigation into allegations of corruption against gardai in the city.
Last night, the senior garda, who did not wish to be named, insisted no such investigation was taking place, while Garda Headquarters in Dublin said it was.
The Garda Headquarters statement was issued early yesterday in response to an article in a Sunday newspaper which said the Garda Commissioner had ordered an investigation into allegations of corruption among members of the force in Cork.
The statement said: "A senior Garda officer has been appointed to investigate irregularities in a Cork Garda division." The investigating officer is understood to be Chief Supt Sean Camon, recently appointed head of the Central Detective Unit in Dublin.
Last night, the senior garda in Cork said the statement was wrong. "I want to emphasise that no garda is being questioned in Cork about any irregularities", he said.
He said that two months ago a garda, who has since left the force, made allegations about another member. The allegations "have been looked at and are totally unsubstantiated" he said.
"There's no member of the gardai in Cork under investigation and it is totally incorrect to say otherwise," he added.
Last night, the Garda Press Office in Dublin said the statement, issued with the authority of the Garda Commissioner Mr Pat Byrne, remained in force.
The dispute comes at a time when suggestions of links between individual gardai and criminals are causing concern throughout the force. The investigation into the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin has uncovered suspected links between members of a major criminal gang and three serving gardai in Dublin.
As the Lucan based investigation has proceeded it has unearthed a wide criminal network in Dublin, and the gardai have come to the attention of the detectives seeking information about the journalist's killers. It is understood a series of incidents involving gardai in an area of the south city are now being re examined in the light of the alleged links to criminals. Sources said in one case a file on the activities of a garda suspected of links to criminals has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the murder continues. A man and a woman were arrested yesterday and held for questioning at Lucan Garda station.
The Garda Federation, which represents about 2,500 gardai, said an independent commission should be set up to examine the structure of the force and the way it operates. It should also have a remit to examine allegations of corruption, said Mr Chris Finnegan of the federation.
He said most gardai were "shocked and angered" by allegations of corruption and believed it was now time to "clear the decks".
The Fine Gael TD for Dublin Central, Mr Jim Mitchell, said he had been "puzzled by the lack of action by gardai over the last three or four years" when complaints about drug dealing were passed to them.
He said the Garda investigation into the Guerin murder had shown the force could become more active when it had to. "When the heat is on them and the focus is on them, they can do it," he said. The Guerin investigation had finally started to "hassle" the major drug criminals. "Why haven't they been hassled before?" he asked.
Mr Mitchell said what was needed was "some outside oversight of the guards" such as an independent overseeing body.