Garda Nicholas Keogh told tribunal crime figures were being ‘fiddled’

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Garda Nicholas Keogh told the Disclosures Tribunal that crime figures in his district were being downgraded and described the alleged practice as corruption. The proceedings were reported on 24 October 2019.

The tribunal, chaired by Judge Sean Ryan, was examining whether Mr Keogh was targeted, harassed or bullied after making a protected disclosure on 8 May 2014. He was giving evidence under cross-examination by counsel for An Garda Síochána.

The tribunal heard about a 2015 robbery case that Superintendent Patrick Murray reclassified after the complainant withdrew a statement previously given to gardaí. Mr Keogh alleged that the reclassification was an example of fiddling figures and corruption.

Shane Murphy SC, counsel for An Garda Síochána, said senior colleagues had agreed with the reclassification from robbery from the person to attention and complaints, a non-crime category. He said Mr Keogh had no evidence to accuse Supt Murray of dishonestly reclassifying incidents or of crime figures being ‘re-jigged’.

Mr Keogh said the assault had still happened and that changing the classification to a non-crime was wrong. He said he had given documents about the figures to Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, then TDs.