#DisclosuresTribunal resumes at 9am this morning and will hear from witnesses until 1pm
#DisclosuresTribunal Supt Michael Flynn has started to give evidence
#DisclosuresTribunal Supt Flynn is in charge of telecommunications unit. He was liaison officer for an AGS at Fennelly Commission
#DisclosuresTribunal Hearing about two phones which were seized from Dave Taylor after he was no longer in the Garda Press Office. Phone 1, issued: Sept 2014 and seized in Dec 2014; Phone 2, issued Dec 2014 and seized in Feb 2015. Taylor was removed from GPO on May 31, 2014
#DisclosuresTribunal hears these phones were examined as part of former High Court judge Justice Iarlaith O’Neill's review of Sgt Maurice McCabe and Supt Dave Taylor’s protected disclosures - which preceded the tribunal
#DisclosuresTribunal hears in relation to Phone 1 (which was issued in Sept 2014) Supt Taylor's phone before that (which was issued on or around Oct 31, 2013) wasn't returned to Telecommunications when it was replaced (in Sept 2014).
#DisclosuresTribunal hears AGS has ability to access data for outgoing contacts (calls and text billing events) for all Garda mobile phones for the previous 24 months. Charleton confirms with Flynn that AGS doesn't have access to texts - they're stored by telecoms company
#DisclosuresTribunal hears in respect of landlines, Garda Telecommunications itself retains data of all incoming and outgoing calls at Garda HQ and other major centres up to seven years.
#DisclosuresTribunal McGuinness SC, for tribunal, going through letters from tribunal to AGS requesting phone records relating to Martin Callinan, Noirin O'Sullivan and Dave Taylor - and responses from AGS
#DIsclosuresTribunal McGuinness going through phone data from NOS phones. Hears that of six phones issued to NOS in period (between start of May 2012 to end of May 2014 - when Dave Taylor was in press office ) only one has been recovered.
#DisclosuresTribunal (It's mainly Nokia phones that are missing btw). McGuinness puts it to Flynn some might think it's strange five phones are missing. Asks if there is special policy in relation to handing in phones before getting replacement. Flynn said at time, there wasn't
#DisclosuresTribunal Flynn says there was no requirement on Commissioners or Dep Comms to hand back phones when they sought replacement phones. Says there are personal reasons when ppl want to hold onto their phone - for pictures, etc
#DisclosuresTribunal now going through Martin Callinan's phones for the same time period. Tribunal hears 4 out of 6 phones haven't been recovered.
#DisclosuresTribunal now going through Supt Dave Taylor's phones for the same time period. Three phones, none recovered.
#DIsclosuresTribunal So, all up only 3 out of 15 phones have been recovered for time in which Supt Dave Taylor was in Garda Press Office (of Callinan, NOS and Taylor's phones)
#DisclosuresTribunal hears from Flynn that AGS does not store/hold/have any content record of texts. The only record they hold is the billing event.
#DisclosuresTribunal McGuinness SC, for tribunal refers to two phones seized in August 2015 (this was after Dave Taylor was no longer in Garda Press Office) as part of Chief Supt Clerkin's investigation into Taylor. McGuinness asks Flynn if he's happy these weren't tampered with.
#DisclosuresTribunal Flynn says he's satisfied the matter was dealt with up to international standards. Said there's a 'photograph' taken at the outset (before investigation begins) and that remains gold standard copy of data contained on phone
#DisclosuresTribunal hears landline of Noirin O'Sullivan during period of time DT was in GPO was not equipped to record calls and calls to or from this landline were never recorded
#DislcosuresTribunal From 2006, it did happen that old AGS phones would go to the Jack and Jill Foundation but Flynn confirms there's no evidence that the 12 missing phones went to the Jack and Jill Foundation
#DisclosuresTribunal McG asks Flynn if he's aware of protocol - re: disposal of phones of top ranking officials - in other jurisdictions. He says there's no definite policy across all police forces. Says some have policy of retention, others have policy of complete destruction
#DisclosuresTribunal McG refers to Flynn's statement in which he says he has searched his email account and there's no mention of Sgt McCabe (other than as reported in the media contained intermittently in the press office, clip book sent to him daily).
#DisclosuresTribunal ...in his email. Neither is there any mention of Sgt McCabe in his notes. Statement also says he doesn't recall ever being negatively briefed about Sgt McCabe and he first became aware of the Tusla matter re: McCabe when he saw Prime Time (in Feb 2016)
#DisclosuresTribunal Judge Peter Charleton has asked John Ferry BL, for Dave Talyor, if it's his (Taylor's) position NOW that any supposed texts or emails btw him and Callinan and/or NOS concerning the denigration in any way of Sgt McCabe - that this never happened?
#DisclosuresTribunal Ferry says he will have to take instructions on that query. Charlerton says his position on that is very important.
#DisclosuresTribunal Charleton also asks Ferry if Dave Taylor is no longer maintaining his seized phones had been tampered with. Ferry agrees. Charleton clarifies by asking if Taylor is withdrawing that allegation. Ferry says yes, as far as he is aware that is the case.
#DisclosuresTribunal Inspector Liam Moroney, also attached to Telecommunications Unit in Garda HQ, now giving evidence.
#DIsclosuresTribunal has just broke for ten minutes to allow for Dave Taylor's instructions to be clarified (re: previous questions from judge, see earlier tweet)
#DisclosuresTribunal has resumed with Ins Maroney giving evidence. Ferry BL, for Taylor, is still awaiting clear instructions from Supt Dave Taylor in relation to Judge Charleton's questions
#DisclosuresTribunal Ferry BL, for Taylor, clarifies his instructions which are that Taylor is not accusing any garda of tampering with his phone. Ferry says it will be DT's evidence that a WhatsApp invitation went live on his phone at a particular time and that alarmed him
#DisclosuresTribunal Judge Charleton says unfortunately such events happen all the time. Says two things like that happened recently and he said someone from Oz keeping calling him. Charleton: "I'm surprised he was surprised"
#DisclosuresTribunalJudge CORRECTION: Charleton says unfortunately such events happen all the time. Says two things like that happened HIM recently and he said someone from Oz KEEPS calling him. Charleton: "I'm surprised he was surprised"
#DisclosuresTribunal In relation to other query about electronic interactions with Callinan and NOS, Ferry says it's Taylor's evidence that these were to update them of what was being said about Sgt McCabe in the media and never referenced allegations of sex abuse or any campaign
#DisclosuresTribunal Ferry says, for example, he'd update Callinan & NOS if a journalist was asking about McCabe - such as the time Paul Williams of Irish Independent wrote his Ms D articles. Ferry: "Matters of this type were passed on" but no texts re: abuse allegations/campaign
#DisclosuresTribunal Hearing is told schedule of witnesses for week staring Monday, May 14 hasn't been set yet but they're hoping to begin that Monday with Supt Dave Taylor. This is schedule of witnesses from next Tues (tribunal is not sitting on bank hol) disclosuretribunal.ie/en/DIS/Pages/F…
#DisclosuresTribunal Tribunal has adjourned until Tue, May 8, at 10am.
