DETECTIVES investigating the murder of Veronica Guerin are satisfied that two Dublin gardai who had contact with one of the leading suspects had not infringed any rules.
One of the gardai was involved in a business with the suspect and a third man. The partnership broke up last year. The second garda met the criminal socially and is understood to have tried to recruit him as informant.
Detectives investigating Ms Guerin's murder understood she was aware that the criminal had regular contact with at least one garda but she did not publish this.
Ms Guerin was understood to have been preparing to publish, details about the criminal but it is not known if the criminal's contact with the gardai was to have been mentioned.
However, it is understood there were references to at least one of the two gardai in the copious notes that Ms Guerin kept about her contacts with gardai and criminals.
The whereabouts of this criminal, one of five or six major criminal figures being targeted by the investigation is not known. Gardai attempted to discover his whereabouts yesterday but there was no sign of him or any of his family at their home in south Dublin. There was also no sign of him at either of his businesses.
This criminal made large sums of money from legal businesses and criminal activities from robbery to drug dealing. He is a member of a family with serious criminal connections, although some family members are involved in entirely legal businesses.
The man has invested large amounts of money in businesses in Dublin and Co Meath and, like his criminal associates, has enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.
Gardai suspect that Ms Guerin, who had approached the criminal a number of times, had established that the man, who is married, was bisexual and the criminal might have suspected she intended to publish this.
This suspect is the second criminal to have left his home since the murder.
The activities and associations of the other missing criminals have come under close scrutiny by detectives. At the weekend, a consignment of untaxed cigarettes, valued at £250,000, which had been smuggled into the country by this criminal, were seized by Customs officers and gardai.
Gardai investigating the murder are still building up files on major Dublin criminals before moving against any of the suspects.
Gardai say they expect the investigation will, at least, provide the force with a broad and in-depth insight into the activities of organised criminals in Dublin.