Sergeant ‘wasn’t able to go back’
GARDA whistleblower Maurice Mccabe has retired from the force three weeks after being vindicated by an investigation into corruption.
His solicitor Sean Costello said yesterday: “He wasn’t able to go back.”
Sgt Mccabe, who faced unfounded and false allegations of sexual assault, was praised in the Charleton Tribunal report, published last month.
The Disclosures Tribunal found former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan was part of a “campaign of calumny”, actively aided by his former press officer, Supt David Taylor.
The report also found Sgt Mccabe had “exemplified” hard work and was “repulsively denigrated for being no more than a good citizen and police officer”.
He officially handed in his retirement notice to Assistant Garda Commissioner Fintan Fanning over the weekend. Mr Costello told RTE Radio One yesterday
Sgt Mccabe had reached the decision after “an awful lot of consideration”.
He added: “It is sad in many ways because obviously this is the job he loved.
“He would have kept going but the impact of everything that has happened... he wasn’t able to go back.
“He couldn’t go back member of An Garda to being a Siochana.” Speaking on the same programme Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said he had not had an opportunity to meet Sgt Mccabe since the report was published, but will do so in the next couple of weeks to convey to him, face-to-face, “the deepest sense of gratitude” the State has for the service he performed.
He added: “What is important is the culture of change within An Garda Siochana is now accelerated and I believe that will be the great legacy of Sgt Maurice Mccabe.” Flanagan