A key witness in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder inquiry is to submit a detailed statement to gardaí next week in which she will outline allegations that pressure was put on her by gardaí into implicating an English journalist in the investigation.
Marie Farrell will submit the statement to an inquiry team appointed by Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to review the Garda handling of the investigation into Ms Toscan du Plantier's murder at her holiday home at Toormore, Schull, Co Cork, on December 22nd/23rd, 1996.
Last October, Ms Farrell said that a statement she made to the investigation team, that she saw English journalist Ian Bailey at Kealfadda bridge on the night that Ms Toscan du Plantier was murdered, was false and inaccurate and that she was no longer standing over it.
The development prompted Mr Bailey's solicitor, Frank Buttimer, to write to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Mr Conroy expressing concern that his client was arrested on foot of a statement which was false.
Now Ms Farrell's solicitor, Donal Daly, has confirmed that she has prepared an extensive and detailed statement which he will submit next week on her behalf to the review team which is headed up by Assistant Garda Commissioner Ray McAndrew.
Mr Daly said the statement outlined chronologically Ms Farrell's involvement in the case from the time she was contacted by gardaí until the present.
"It's extremely comprehensive," he added. "It was prepared over several weeks and is very lengthy, but if there's anything in it which the review team need clarification on, then my client will be willing to meet them to clarify those issues."
According to Mr Daly, the statement will cover Ms Farrell's allegations that pressure was put on her to falsely identify Mr Bailey as the man she saw at Kealfadda bridge in the early hours of December 23rd, 1996.
The Irish Times has learned that Mr Bailey, accompanied by Mr Buttimer, had a meeting lasting more than four hours with senior members of the Garda review team in Cork city on Thursday.
Mr Buttimer declined yesterday to comment on the meeting, but The Irish Times has learned that the parties discussed the letter of complaint which Mr Buttimer sent to Mr McDowell and Mr Conroy.
It is believed that Mr Buttimer has identified a number of gardaí, along with civilian witnesses, whom his client believes should be interviewed as part of their review of the original Garda investigation.
It is expected that Mr Bailey will meet the Garda review team again in the coming weeks.
The whole review is expected to possibly take up to several months to complete, even though the team is believed to be proceeding apace with their inquiries.
