Tag Archives: witness list

Left to right (row one): Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness, solicitor Gerald Keane; (row two) Comptroller & Auditor General Seamus McCarthy, Fine Gael TD John Deasy, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin; (row three) Noel Brett, formerly of the Road Safety Authority, former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and former general secretary at the Department of Justice Brian Purcell

On Monday.

The Disclosures Tribunal – which is examining allegations of a smear campaign against Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe – is scheduled to resume at Dublin Castle at 10am.

It will be first hearing from Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness.

Mr McGuinness claims that, on January 24, 2014 – the day after the then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan made his infamous “disgusting” remark about Garda whistleblowers John Wilson and Sgt Maurice McCabe at the Public Accounts Committee – he met Mr Callinan in the carpark of Bewley’s Hotel in Newlands Cross and that Mr Callinan told him Sgt McCabe abused his children and nieces.

Mr McGuinness was the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee at the time and Sgt McCabe was scheduled to appear at PAC – to discuss the penalty points issue – a short time later (on January 30) – despite efforts by Mr Callinan to prevent this appearance.

In relation to Mr McGuinness’s claim, the tribunal has already heard that Mr Callinan has told the tribunal the following:

“I did not at any time state to Mr McGuinness that Mr McCabe had sexually abused anyone or that he was not a credible person… I never at any stage indicated to Mr McGuinness that Sergeant McCabe had sexually abused family members.”

In addition, the Comptroller & Auditor General Seamus McCarthy is also to appear next week.

Readers will recall Mr McCarthy has told the tribunal that he met Mr Callinan at the PAC meeting on January 23, 2014 and that…

“Commissioner Callinan referred to Sergeant McCabe by name and made statements to the effect that Sergeant McCabe was not to be trusted, that he had questions to answer, and that there were allegations of sexual offences against him.”

In his response, Mr Callinan said:

I did not at any point state that Sergeant McCabe was not to be trusted nor that he had questions to answer. I did not state that there were any allegations of sexual offences against him.

As it stands, the witness list includes the following:

Monday, April 9: Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness and Garda Paul Hynes – former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan’s driver.

Tuesday, April 10: Comptroller & Auditor General Seamus McCarthy, Fine Gael TD John Deasy, Noel Brett, former of the Road Safety Authority.

Wednesday, April 11: (no sitting).

Thursday, April 12:  Solicitor Gerald Keane, retired Chief Supt Diarmuid O’Sullivan, director of communications at An Garda Siochana Andrew McLindon.

Friday, April 13: Mr McLindon (continued).

Monday, April 16: Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin; former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, John Kennedy, Superintendent Frank Walsh (former Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan’s private secretary) and former general secretary at the Department of Justice Brian Purcell.

More to follow.

Disclosures Tribunal

Previously: Disclosures And Non-Disclosures

Disgusting