The High Court was told yesterday that senior people in the Garda crime and security section seemed to have conspired to keep information from a detective about the existence of a directive supporting his claim that he had a right to refuse to name an informant. This informant had warned of a threat to the life of a Sinn Féin councillor.
Despite seeking the 1974 directive from the State and Garda for seven years, it was only on Tuesday last that the detective's solicitor learned that its existence was set out in a submission by the State to the Morris tribunal, which is investigating allegations of Garda corruption in Co Donegal, the court heard.
Proceedings against the Garda Commissioner by Michael Hughes, a former detective sergeant, who was demoted after refusing to name his informant and who has now retired, were adjourned yesterday to allow lawyers for the Garda Commissioner and the State to inquire into the allegation that the directive was kept from Mr Hughes.
Mr Hughes (65) of Cromwellsfort Road, Walkinstown, Dublin, had been a detective sergeant in the Special Detective Unit (SDU) and was in charge of the inner north city area of Dublin in 1993. Mr Hughes was demoted to uniform desk sergeant when he refused to give the name of an informant to his superiors.