‘Their Denials Are Unreservedly Accepted’

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From top: Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter and former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan; former Garda Confidential Recipient Oliver Connolly; Sgt Maurice McCabe;

You may recall a post from February 18, 2014 containing a transcript of a conversation between former Garda Confidential Recipient, Oliver Connolly and Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe on February 9, 2012.

A day after the transcript was published, Mr Connolly was sacked.

The conversation between the two men came after Sgt McCabe had given Mr Connolly a report containing a number of allegations of Garda wrongdoing.

During the meeting Sgt McCabe was told that the then Justice Minister Alan Shatter had referred his complaints to Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and that no further action would be taken.

Mr Connolly told Sgt McCabe:

“I’ll tell you something Maurice and this is just personal advice to you. If Shatter thinks your screwing him, you’re finished… If Shatter thinks it’s you, if he thinks or is told by the Commissioner or the Gardaí here’s this guy again trying another route trying to put pressure on, he’ll go after you.”

He also told Sgt McCabe:

“What I’ll say to you is, [your report] went to the Department of Justice and that annoyed the Commissioner greatly. I’m sure it’s going to be an embarrassment for the Gardaí, a disaster for them and listen if your complaints are exposed to the print media it will make him an angry man.”

Broadsheet posted the full transcript after excerpts were read into the Dáil by both Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.

Readers may wish to note that this is what former High Court judge Kevin O’Higgins concluded in relation to that transcript, in his Commission of Investigation which was published yesterday:

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Seems legit.

Read the full O’Higgins report here

Previously: ‘The Truth Has Been Established’

Garda Confidential

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15 thoughts on “‘Their Denials Are Unreservedly Accepted’

  1. Digs

    The most radical and progressive justice minister ever, harangued out of office by an ill informed public and media. Fools the lot of them.

    1. ivan

      His undoing wasn’t his ambition, or his ideals but the fact that, on a human level, he has to be right and has to be seen to be right at any and all times.

      His exposure of Wallace’s penalty points was a classic instance of this; he had to be able to put Wallace in his box, and at that point the mask slipped and he was on a slippery slope from that point on. He’s never offered a plausible explanation as to

      a) why the Garda Commissioner would brief the Minister for Justice on, inter alia, penalty points acquired by other politicians
      b) why he said what he said, and how he said it.

      1. Kerri Ann

        Well said. He should have been ejected from government the minute he abused his position like that.

        In this case, though, O”Higgins is right to exonerate him. Anything else would have been ridiculous.

      2. Mysterybeat

        So what you’re saying is, he may have been good, but he was also a smarmy a55-hat?

        1. ivan

          Actually I’m not; I think he’s a geebag but that’s my own, subjective, opinion and nothing more. :)

          What I’m saying here is that objectively he *did* seek to reform but also, objectively, he seemed to abuse his position (vis a vis penalty points) and I outlined the (IMHO) personality flaw that allowed that to happen.

          His personality flaw trumped his reforming zeal.

          1. Mysterybeat

            Potato, potato…
            Hmm..that really only works verbally!
            Anyway, I guess in fact *I’m* saying he’s a good, but he’s a smarmy a55-hat!

          2. curmudegon

            He also ordered gardai to break up protests that didnt suit him (he was with an Israeli diplomat attending a film premiere) even though the Garda informed him that they had absolutely no legal right to do so. Blatant abuse of power.

    2. bisted

      ‘…The most vindictive justice minister ever, shamed out of office by ill informed public and media utterances. Fool.’ …there, fixed that for you.

    3. Don Key Don G

      True but a lot of flaws nonetheless

      Sad broadsheet trying to wring more clickbait out of worthless non story

      1. Andy

        Well, I wouldn’t say its worthless.

        It shows that Connolly was sacked, not because he leaked a transcript of a meeting, but because Srgt McCabe secretly recorded their conversation and leaked it.

    4. Clampers Outside!

      He abused pn of the highest offices in the country, and the office requiring the most stringent integrity.

      He failed on that, and brought disrepute to the office of Minster for Justice when, for personal gain, he revealed Wallace’s points.

      He should have been fired on that alone.
      The man’s name is mud for sullying such an office for his own personal gain, and it’s all his own doing.

  2. Truth in the News

    The O’Higgins Inquiry were frustrated in their initial search for Documentation from
    the Guards it was eventually found in Balieborough the “epi center” of allegations
    at issue….who in the Guards knew where the files were located and how come
    they were discoved so late into the Inquiry’s work, which caused a considerable
    delay in the progress of its work and indeed additional expense.
    Apologies from the Commissioner are of little value, its resignations that’s needed
    What’s Fitzgerald going to do about this.

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