A Garda sergeant told the Morris tribunal yesterday of a major rift between detectives and uniformed members of the force in Co Donegal.
Sgt Mick Murray, who has served for over 25 years in Buncrana Garda station, said uniformed gardaí were often kept in the dark over the activities of detectives.
"It often felt like these guys were working for the secret service," Sgt Murray told the tribunal.
"It's difficult, maybe, for members of the public to comprehend this. But at the time it felt like there were two independent police forces operating, with very little communication between us."
The tribunal, which is currently investigating claims of bogus explosive finds, also heard that the crime scenes of two significant seizures were "botched" by investigating gardaí in January and March of 1994.
Sgt Murray, who was the scene-of-crime officer called to both finds, said he was annoyed to find that bomb-making materials had been moved from the crime scene in Bridgend to the Garda station at Burnside "for safe-keeping" in January 1994.
He said that even "a garda in Templemore with two months' training" would have known that the scene of a crime needed to be preserved.
"The thing with a scene-of-crime investigation is you can never play catch-up. You can't rewind the tape," Sgt Murray said.
Sgt Murray said he did not test the evidence for fingerprints because the crime scene was "flawed".
However, under questioning from Mr Paul McDermott SC, for the tribunal, he accepted that valuable evidence could still have been recovered if the material was tested for fingerprints.
He said he did not feel comfortable complaining about the handling of the crime scene because of the rift between the detectives and uniformed gardaí.
The tribunal also heard that the scene of the crime in a second find of bomb-making materials at a flat in Buncrana in March 1994 was not adequately preserved and again fingerprints were not taken.
Two women who lived in the flat, Ms Adrienne McGlinchey and Ms Yvonne Devine, were subsequently arrested after the explosives find on suspicion of membership of an unlawful organisation, but were later released without charge.
Sgt Murray said he understood there had been no charges as a result of the search of Ms McGlinchey's flat in March because the scene of crime had been "ballsed up" and that she was being protected by detectives.
The tribunal is investigating allegations that Supt Kevin Lennon and Det Garda Noel McMahon prepared explosives, together with Ms Glinchey, to be planted and later found in a series of bogus Garda finds.
Sgt Murray also highlighted what appeared to be major discrepancies between what he found in the McGlinchey flat and an official list sent to Garda headquarters.
Sgt Murray said that although fertiliser was present, the Garda list contained a number of additional items such as metal objects, welding rods and large quantities of icing sugar, which he said were not present.
