An Assistant Garda Commissioner told a court yesterday of the criminal code of silence surrounding the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.
Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey was giving evidence at the Special Criminal Court during an application by the State to prevent the disclosure of statements by 20 people made to gardai during the Guerin murder investigation.
The Assistant Commissioner said a gang involved in cannabis and cocaine dealing and firearms would "resort to anything" to maintain "a wall of silence".
Mr Hickey said he was in charge of the Guerin murder investigation and other related investigations.
The gardai were taking threats against witnesses seriously, he said, and a number of people were currently involved in the Witness Protection Programme.
He said a key prosecution witness in the Guerin investigation, Charles Bowden, and his girlfriend, Ms Julie Bacon, had been threatened they would be killed. A house used by Bowden's girlfriend was burned to the ground just after she moved from it, he added.
The criminal group involved in supplying cannabis, cocaine and firearms depended on silence from potential witnesses.
"We know from intelligence that the people concerned have the resources, the money and the firearms and will resort to anything to maintain this wall of silence which they believe is necessary to protect themselves," he said.
Earlier this week the court directed that the statements should be given to another judicial panel of the court to decide if they were relevant to the defence in the case of Mr Paul Ward, who is due to go on trial next Tuesday.
Mr Ward (33), of Windmill Park, Crumlin, is accused of the murder of Ms Guerin at the Naas Road, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
State counsel Mr Peter Charleton SC said the people concerned could be "readily identifiable" from the statements they made to gardai. He said prosecution counsel had been engaged on a daily basis with the case, which had grown massively.
"This case is constantly taking different turns and directions and has become a more complex case than any other court in the country has had to try," he said.
Mr Charleton said the prosecution considered the statements made by the 20 people - which he identified by the letters A to T - were of no relevance to the defence and could put the people involved at risk.
Assistant Commissioner Hickey said it would be virtually impossible for the gardai to investigate serious crime if the confidentiality of informants was breached.
He said some people were still being sought in other jurisdictions and he added: "It would be disadvantageous if we were to show our hand or show all our aces at this stage."
Cross-examined by defence solicitor Mr Michael E Hanahoe, he said that 10 of the 20 people concerned had specifically said they would not give evidence. He said that at least 11 of the 20 had criminal convictions.
Assistant Commissioner Hickey said gardai had taken 3,500 statements from 1,350 people in the course of the Guerin investigation.
Mr Hanahoe told the court the good faith of the prosecution was not an issue but the prosecution was not aware of what the defence in the case would be and it could well be that some matters in the statements might be of considerable benefit to Mr Ward.
He asked the court not to decide on the issue until next week and said he wished to consult with Mr Ward and with counsel.
Mr Justice Barr, presiding, said the court would decide at the start of the trial on Tuesday how to deal with the statements after hearing further submissions.