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FORMER Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan ordered that Sgt Maurice Mccabe be “buried” over malpractice claims, the Disclosures Tribunal heard yesterday.
The whistleblower also alleged the ex-chief told Fianna Fail TD John Mcguinness he had abused his own children and his nieces, and was not to be trusted.
Sgt Mccabe said he was left feeling “isolated” and “alone” after a smear campaign allegedly ordered by Mr Callinan.
He faced unfounded and false allegations of sexual assault on a child and a Facebook post described him as “Maurice the Rat” after he made claims of wrongdoing among officers including the quashing of penalty points.
Sgt Mccabe became emotional during evidence and almost broke down when asked about a meeting he had with Deputy Mcguinness in May 2016.
The officer struggled to keep his composure as he recalled being told details of claims by the former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, John Mcguinness, which investigated the matter.
Sgt Mccabe said: “He said that I sexually abused children.”
He was asked to meet Mr Mcguinness at a roundabout on the outskirts of Dublin, adding: “He grabbed my arm getting out of the car and said it was very, very serious.” Sgt Mccabe said he could not believe what he was hearing and drove home in a daze.
The witness acknowledged 10 officers he worked with in Mullingar traffic corps supported him 100% and he had received 300 to 400 letters, cards and emails of support and no hate mail.
Mr Callinan has denied sending texts to be disseminated among other officers, journalists and politicians raising the fact he had been investigated for sexual assault.
Sgt Mccabe told the tribunal Mr Callinan’s messages to a press officer included: “Do him down, use your phone and do him down. He has to be buried.”
Sgt Mccabe added: “He would send it on to other senior gardai, ex-commissioner [Noirin] O’sullivan, and he would send it on to journalists and he sent it on to a number of TDS.”
The whistleblower also complained of alleged harassment, bullying, discrimination and victimisation at the hands of a superintendent.
He said: “There are an element that would just blank you, not speak to you. The culture is there, it is extremely hard to speak out. “You certainly are isolated.” The Disclosures Tribunal was set up to investigate allegations of an organised campaign against whistleblowers at the highest levels of An Garda Siochana.
GARDA WHISTLEBLOWER
There are an element that would blank you, not speak to you
MAURICE MCCABE