Alarm bells ringing as Garda phones go missing

NEWS that a mobile phone used by Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan has gone missing is a matter of serious concern. It is understood it was being used by the Commissioner at the time of the alleged smear campaign against Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

It was one of a number of mobile phones sought by Mr Justice Peter Charleton, the Supreme Court judge tasked with investigating whether senior gardaí were involved in any such campaign. These alleged events followed Sgt McCabe’s revelations about abuse of the driver penalty points system and as he also raised concerns about policing standards in Cavan-Monaghan.

Another phone used around the same time by former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan has also gone missing. Equally, mobiles used by other Garda witnesses cannot be found. All of this will make the work of this tribunal more difficult.

The apparent lack of a central log to track official mobile phones issued to senior gardaí is even more concerning. It means the Garda authorities cannot tell whether a phone was destroyed or re-assigned to another senior officer.

This again does not reflect well on senior Garda management and it poses even more serious questions for an already embattled Commissioner.

We urgently need to hear from the Commissioner and other senior officers on these matters.