AGSI chief in GSOC head office stand-off
Row over officer’s suspension
THE leader of a major Garda representative body was involved in a stand-off with bosses at GSOC inside the policing watchdog’s own HQ, it has emerged.
The Irish Mirror has confirmed that Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham refused to leave the GSOC offices in central Dublin last Thursday.
There was a row over a member of the force under criminal investigation for almost two years.
AGSI last night came out in support of Ms Cunningham and president Paul Curran, who was also at the meeting and who backed the general secretary’s decision to refuse to leave the office.
It said: “AGSI is fully supportive of the stance taken by our President Paul Curran and General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham last week when they refused to leave the GSOC offices until information pertaining to a member was passed to Garda headquarters.”
We have confirmed that Ms Cunningham told a GSOC delegation she would not leave the office until a senior member of the watchdog sent a key document to Garda Assistant Commissioner John Roberts allowing him to lift the officer’s suspension.
The officer had been under investigation for an assault for 23 months and had been suspended as soon as the allegation was made against him.
The Director of Public Prosecutions told GSOC last month that the sergeant would not face criminal charges over the allegation.
The AGSI had made repeated requests of GSOC to send a formal notification of that decision to Assistant Commissioner Roberts.
He is in charge of all suspensions but he must have confirmation from GSOC that the officer is not being charged before he can lift it.
It’s understood Ms Cunningham, who represents 2,500 sergeants and
This again highlights disregard shown to members AGSI SPOKESMAN ON GSOC PAPERWORK DELAY
inspectors, had become increasingly frustrated at the delay.
Sources say she was told the documentation would be sent the following day and she replied: “That’s not good enough.”
The stand-off lasted for around 90 minutes. The meeting then broke up for around 10 minutes and when it resumed a GSOC official sent the relevant paperwork to AC Roberts who lifted the sergeant’s suspension within a matter of hours.
An AGSI spokesperson said: “This highlights again the complete lack of accountability by GSOC and the complete disregard they show to individual members who are subject to prolonged investigations.”
GSCO confirmed the meeting took place but in statement added: “GSOC has no further comment.”