Courts / Westmeath / Report
McDowell accuses O'Sullivan of telling "a dark lie"
Summary
In a hearing before the Charleton tribunal, former Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan denied accusations of hypocrisy regarding her conduct toward whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe during the O'Higgins Commission of Investigation. O'Sullivan testified that she had invested significant time and effort in supporting McCabe in Mullingar throughout 2014, and that she had not instructed her legal team to challenge his integrity. She explained that as commissioner she had to balance the allegations made by McCabe with the rights of those accused to respond, and that she had not been present at the O'Higgins Commission hearings. O'Sullivan acknowledged factual inaccuracies in a letter prepared by her legal team but said the issue was clarified by Justice O'Higgins. She also disputed claims that former commissioner Martin Callinan retired because of McCabe, calling such allegations a "dark lie." The tribunal was set to resume the following day.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: McDowell accuses O'Sullivan of telling "a dark lie". Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- May 18, 2015 Other
- 2018-01-23 Publication
Why: She said this meant that she had to challenge and test the evidence of Sgt McCabe before the O'Higgins Commission in order to arrive at the truth. CNI source report
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