#DisclosuresTribunal Former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan is about to start giving evidence
#DisclosuresTribunal Patrick Marrinan SC, for the tribunal, is taking Callinan - who stepped down from his role in March 2014 - through his evidence
#DisclosuresTribunal Asked when he first became aware of Sgt McCabe, Call: .I certanly read about him during the 2010 period when the Byrne/McGinn report was completed. Had opportunity to look at that. From that particular report, I think I became familiar with Sgt McCabe
#DisclosuresTribunal Call confirms to Marrinan that he has been following the proceedings of the tribunal ...and he's been reading "quite a substantial volume of transcripts"
#DisclosuresTribunal On foot of getting exec summary of the Byrne/McGinn report, Marrinan puts it to Call that he was aware of the 2006 Ms D allegation. Asked if he access to the file, Call said no. Said he could have got the file if had looked for it.
#DisclosuresTribunal Asked if he ever asked for the file, Call: No. My awareness from reading the report was that an allegation had been made, file submitted following investigation and DPP ruled. Didn't concern myself with it afterwards
#DisclosuresTribunal Marrinan draws up the DPP direction re: Ms D. Calls it "unequivocal" and allegation is "utterly dismissed". Callinan says he never saw the DPP directions/letter until the tribunal.
#DisclosuresTribunal Marrinan going through what happened after the Byrne/McGinn report (Sgt McCabe had made a complaint about that...there was an examination about that, etc). Marrinan now raising penalty points.
#DisclosuresTribunal Marrinan: Was it known that John Wilson and Sgt McCabe were the gardai raising concerns about penalty points? Callinan: No, no, there was a suspicion but it wasn't known until the investigation started, the Asst Comm started examining...
#DisclosuresTribunal [cntd] Callinan: ...and it became apparent and there were 8 fatal traffic accidents being examined and it was apparent that Sgt McCabe had been inquiring about those matters. So there was a strong indication [it was them] at that stage.'
#DisclosuresTribunal Marrinan puts to Call it would appear he was told by Asst Comm John O'Mahoney (who did internal AGS invest into pp) that there was a high probability he (Callinan) knew it was McCabe - partic as he issued direction to him to stop accessing PULSE in Dec 2012
#DisclosuresTribunal Marrinan: You were letting him know you knew he was behind it. Callinan: I was satisfied what I was told that both McCabe and Wilson were disseminating the material to a third party. I had an obligation to stop that.
#DisclosuresTribunal M: But there's a suggestion that Sgt McCabe didn't cooperate with the JOM investigation because arising out of that direction he was invited to contact JOM if he had any more concerns. Familiar with that? Call: I am.
#DisclosuresTribunal M: The reason put forward as to why he wasn't approached (by JOM) directly was because he enjoyed anonymity. Call: Yes. Marrinan: That doesn't make sense, because of the direction (i.e. no anonymity applied).
#DisclosuresTribunal Callinan: I apologise if I'm not making myself clear, Chairman, it wasn't the case in 2012 that here was an awareness that the docs that came from the dept was attributed to either of those two parties but it did become clear during the investigation.
#DisclosuresTribunal Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill reviewed the protected disclosures of Supt Dave Taylor and Sgt Maurice McCabe before the tribunal was set up. Marrinan now asking about Callinan's response to O'Neill when O'Neill wrote to him about Taylor's protected disclosure
#DisclosuresTribunal In his letter to O'Neill in Oct 2016, Callinan wrote: "I am advised that I should not enter into any process until the 'very serious allegations' to which I am requested to respond have been set out in appropriate details.."
#DisclosuresTribunal [Callinan has told tribunal he didn't know what "vile allegations" Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness was referring to in public - this is what McG said in Dail in May 2016 about the carpark meeting between him and Callinan in Jan 2014 broadsheet.ie/2016/05/27/we-… ]
#DisclosuresTribunal Call told O'Neill: re Taylor's PD "I am emphatically deny same. If Supt Taylor perceived wrongdoing, as serving member of AGS..if was his duty not to involve himself in any wrongdoing and further to make known and promptly report any wrngdoing he perceived.."
#DisclosuresTribunal In respect of John McGuinness's claim, Callinan told O'Neill something similar: 'McG had a clear duty to make his invovlement known to Mr Justice O'Higgins for the purposes of the Commission of Investigation [which took place from May to Dec 2015]...'
#DisclosuresTribunal [Cntd] "There is no indication in the correspondence or the public utterances by Deputy McGuinness that I have seen or heard that he did so.."
#DisclosuresTribunal Callinan also: I wish to state categorically that I did not direct Taylor to brief the media to the effect that Sgt McCabe was motivated by revenge...incorrect to allege I instructed Taylor to encourage media to report McCabe was driven by improper agendas.
