Courts / Cavan / Report
"Selective" media leaks designed "to do maximum damage", O'Sullivan tells Tribunal
Summary
Former Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, speaking before the Charleton tribunal, said she felt isolated after media reports claimed she had directed an attack on whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe's integrity at the O'Higgins Commission of Investigation. She argued that selective leaks of a transcript were designed to damage her reputation. O'Sullivan noted that Section 11 of the Commissions of Investigation Act limited her ability to respond publicly to press allegations that McCabe acted out of malice. She maintained she never suggested malice and that her legal team had not instructed her to do so. O'Sullivan described a period of intense activity, including drafting a letter to Minister Frances Fitzgerald to clarify the facts and counter the allegations. She emphasized that the leaks were deliberate and aimed at harming her position and reputation. The tribunal heard her account of the events surrounding the O'Higgins report and the subsequent media coverage.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Selective" media leaks designed "to do maximum damage", O'Sullivan tells Tribunal. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- May 2016 Other
- 16 May 2016 Other
- Wednesday 18 May Other
- 2018-01-23 Publication
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