A group of eight Munster-based gardai who were suspended from duties in November last year, over claims they squared away traffic tickets for GAA players and officials, remain on suspension without any findings or charges being brought against them.
The eight officers – attached to stations all within one garda division – received suspensions on November 8th, 2020 – the largest number of gardai ever suspended in one action.
While gardai said the suspensions are part of an “investigation focussed on corruption in public office”, informed sources said the allegations against the eight members are of a minor nature.
It’s understood none of the eight gardai have been formally arrested but have been interviewed by members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI).
John O’Driscoll, Assistant Commissioner, Organised and Serious Crime, (OSC), is heading the investigation.
“Further to an ongoing investigation led by the Assistant Commissioner, Special Crime Operations (SCO), involving personnel attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI), eight members of An Garda Síochána have been suspended,” a garda spokesman said last November.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, An Garda Síochána will not be commenting on the rank or the location of the members of An Garda Síochána who have been suspended,” they added.
When asked for an up-to-date response on whether or not the eight gardai remained on suspension, a garda spokeswoman replied: “There has been no change to the previous advised position.”
Among the claims against the eight gardai are that they allegedly abandoned potential prosecutions of alleged minor road traffic offences and other minor matters, against a number of individuals within the GAA.
Mobile phones and documents belonging to the eight gardai as well as the players and officials were seized by investigating officers, and a number of garda stations were also searched.
It brings to 11 the total number of gardai suspended and questioned by members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) into alleged corrupt practices in the same division.
As part of this wider probe – which does not directly involve the eight gardai suspended last November – has been ongoing for the past two years.
The investigation has, so far, resulted in charges being brought against an experienced Detective Garda that he accepted money from a businessman in return for passing on confidential information about an investigation into the man’s business operations by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).
The NBCI was also investigating a high-ranking garda who they suspected of tipping off a colleague that the NBCI had bugged their car.
The high-ranking garda who was arrested and released without charge two years ago, has since retired from the force after they failed in a High Court challenge to have their suspension lifted.
Another garda arrested and suspended two years ago as part of another strand of the same NBCI probe, on suspicion of having ingested drugs while socialising in a pub, was also released without charge.
