Ming tells Dail about Athlone Garda whistleblower

 

Roscommon TD Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan said the new whistleblower, Garda Nicky Keogh, has presented information to the garda confidential recipient Justice Patrick McMahon today in relation to what he described as 'very serious allegations'.

“These include a cover-up of an original file which was stolen and an original incident removed from the Pulse system. New statements were created and new original information appeared. A court order for disclosure was not fully complied with,” the TD said in Leinster House.

“The whistleblower’s greatest concern was in relation to a drugs operation in 2009 is that there was a systematic and orchestrated effort by high ranking officers to induce and coerce Irish citizens, in this case with people with no previous convictions to buy drugs from drug dealers and in doing so putting them in personal danger, and in turn, to sell the drugs to undercover guards without making any profit, thus boosting crime detection figures,” he said.

Among the allegations handed over, Ming said, was a claim a Garda threatened a defendant to plead guilty on the day of a his court hearing.

“A further grave aspect, of grave concern, in relation to the planning of this operation was that the list of nominated persons to be targeted had a notable omission in that a significant and well-recognised drug dealer in the area who has been seen long associated with a senior member of the drugs unit was excluded,” he added.

Deputy Flanagan said Garda Nicky Keogh was left with no option to come forward publicly given the gaping hole in legislation.

Appealing for whistleblower protection, Mr Flanagan said the mostly young citizens targeted in the alleged drug operation now have serious drugs convictions.

“Nicky Keogh is a hero,” he told the Dail.

“I wish I knew more heroes like him. There are plenty of them in the Garda Siochana, he’s done them proud today and I hope they shake his hand rather than tie a knot in a rat’s tail and put it on his door.”