Pubdate: Sun, 08 Mar 2009
Source: Sunday Times (UK)
Copyright: 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/sunday_times/?days=Sunday
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/439
Author: John Mooney

OMBUDSMAN WIDENS PROBE INTO GARDA DRUG COLLUSION

Suspicion Grows That Heroin Dealer Was 'Permitted' To Import Hard Drugs

The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is examining scores of 
drug seizures, arrests and covert operations involving Kieran Boylan, 
a convicted heroin dealer whose relationship with the force is the 
subject of a collusion inquiry following an expose by The Sunday Times.

The garda ombudsman now suspects that Boylan was "permitted" to 
import huge quantities of heroin, cocaine and cannabis, which he 
supplied to low-level dealers, who were later arrested, while he 
continued to wholesale drugs to other criminal gangs.

The scope of the GSOC inquiry has been extended to examine other 
startling claims, among them allegations that gardai informed Boylan 
that he was being targeted by other garda units. Personal details on 
gardai were also leaked to the criminal.

The disclosure has prompted calls for Fachtna Murphy, the garda 
commissioner, to stand down an internal inquiry he set up to examine 
Boylan's relationship with members of the force.

Murphy established the in-ternal inquiry in June before drug 
trafficking charges against Boylan, 37, over a  1.7m find of heroin 
and cocaine seized at a truckers yard in Ardee, Co Louth, in October 
2005, were dropped during an unlisted court appearance.

Boylan had threatened to reveal his knowledge of extra-judicial garda 
operations if his trial had proceeded.

Fine Gael and the Labour party now believe that Garda Headquarters 
should have no further involvement in any investigation into Boylan.

"Internal garda inquiries are no longer satisfactory in matters as 
serious as that involving Kieran Boylan," said Charlie Flanagan, the 
Fine Gael spokesman on justice issues.

"It is entirely inappropriate for the gardai to conduct any 
investigation into this case by way of an internal inquiry. There is 
an issue of confidence and trust in the operations of the Garda 
Siochana at this stage."

The affair was raised on three occasions in the Dail last week by 
opposition TDs following the broadcast of a Prime Time Investigates 
programme on RTE television about the drugs trafficker.

The Labour party is planning to bring the garda commissioner before 
the next sitting of the Dail justice committee to answer questions 
about the affair. Joe Costello, a party TD, said: "I think the most 
appropriate way of getting answers would be to bring Commissioner 
Murphy before a committee where he can be questioned. The justice 
committee would be the most appropriate Dail committee to do this."

Murphy has refused to answer questions about his personal knowledge 
of garda operations which involved Boylan.

A garda spokesman refused to say whether or not Murphy would shut 
down the internal garda inquiry into Boylan.

"In view of the fact that the matter you refer to is the subject of 
an inquiry by the Garda Ombudsman, it would be inappropriate to 
comment," said a garda spokesman.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart