Just The Facts

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Sgt Maurice McCabe

You may recall a post from yesterday about the as yet  unpublished but leaked Justice O’Higgins report into allegations made by Sgt Maurice McCabe in relation to the Cavan-Monaghan area.

It included a transcript of a Drivetime report by RTÉ journalist Philip Boucher Hayes on Monday evening, after he secured a copy of the O’Higgins report.

At one point, Mr Boucher Hayes stated:

Another headline Maurice McCabe’s detractors point to is his allegation of corruption made against Former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. Mr Callinan is “entitled to have his reputation vindicated” and that allegations made against him by Maurice McCabe “were unfounded and deeply hurtful” says the judge. Proof again that McCabe was pointing an unjustified finger of blame.

But in the same paragraph, where this appears, it’s also made clear that McCabe never accused Callinan of corruption – “He had not intended to make allegations of criminal conduct against the Commissioner but rather of an abuse of power only.”

Anyone reading the accounts of the report that Maurice McCabe withdrew his allegations could reasonably infer that he knew he was on shaky ground in some of the things that he was saying.

On the contrary though it emerges in the transcripts of the commission that Sgt McCabe withdrew one complaint against an officer whom he felt should have been more critical of the shortcomings of a junior officer.

When he was presented with the testimony of the senior criticising his junior, McCabe withdrew the complaint saying that this “was the first time I’ve seen this”.

However….

An editorial in today’s Irish Times states:

The report does not paint a monochrome picture. No one is all good or all bad. There are conflicts of evidence, fact and recollection. Whistle-blower Sergeant Maurice McCabe is described as a dedicated and committed member of the Garda who acted out of genuine and legitimate concerns and was truthful in his evidence.

The corporate ranks closed against him. But his complaints of corruption against senior officers, including former Commissioner Martin Callinan, were described as hurtful and were rejected by the judge. Other complaints were overstated or exaggerated. Some were unfounded and some were withdrawn by Sgt McCabe.

Commission report on An Garda Síochána highlights need to remove politics from policing (Irish Times)

Previously: ‘Something For Everyone’

Laura Hutton/Rollingnews

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11 thoughts on “Just The Facts

    1. Panty Christ

      Is there any way to foi if a Garda has looked up your details up on the pulse? Plenty of law abiding citizens have their details logged into the system for routine things like work background checks etc and system is open to abuse by gardai being nosey.

  1. Mysterybeat

    The report, or at least what I’ve read, sounds like the typical whitewash that means nobody is really accountable for anything.

    What I’m more concerned about is that it was leaked to the media. On Radio 1 yesterday morning, Regina Doherty, the new Chief Whip, was asked about it and when it would be published. She said that the reason it hadn’t been published was because the AG needed to review to see if it would be prejudicial to any potential prosecution. I know this is commonly used as a stalling tactic, but it seems prudent in this case.
    However, she never once mentioned that she was concerned that the leaks from the report would be prejudicial to any prosecution.
    Certainly I’m taking it that ‘officialdom’ is quite content to let the report be dripped out, so that they nobody can (if required) be held accountable in the future.

  2. Truth in the News

    Where did the allegations of corruption against Callinan emerge from as they
    were never raised in the initial claims or highlighted, a central issue was the
    cancellation of penalty points, has O’Higgins identified those who had theirs
    cancelled and by whom, did the report look into the alleged cancellation of
    penalty points raised by Gemma O’Doherty and was there any senior gardai
    involved as this was the initial way that the public became aware of the issue
    and led to this Journalist losing her position at the Independent.

  3. Vanessa

    Remember the seriously assaulted woman taxi driver clearly stating she received a call from a garda calling himself sergeant Maurice Mc Cabe ( when she making enquiries as to what was happening re her assailant)…only to subsequently find out it was a gatda falsely using Sgt Mc Cabe’s identity? Corruption is thriving in Ireland. All too often decent people who bring it to public attention are villified and stressed to the hilt. The 3 judge courts should be abolished forthwith. Cant be trusted.

  4. ForFecksSake

    David Davin Power’s report on this was awful. He gleefully focussed on the defence of the senior gardaí and revelled in any criticism of McCabe in the report. No surprise though this is the guy who quickly rushed to dismiss the whistleblowing scandal as ‘a bottle of smoke’.

    1. Supercrazyprices

      David Davin Power is embedded. Riding the gravy train, no chance of stepping out of line. He’s on a one way ticket to cosy retirement and then a book of political chortles about this time in RTE.

      1. classter

        I think DDP is pretty good.

        Agreed that Reynolds could be considered an honorary Garda.

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