The Morris tribunal will begin a new module today known as the "silver bullet" affair dealing with the arrests and detention of two men.
The tribunal will inquire into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of Mark McConnell of Raphoe, Co Donegal, a nephew of Frank McBrearty Snr, on October 1st, 1998 and Michael Peoples, Liskey, Ballindrait, Lifford, Co Donegal on May 6th, 1999.
The complaint before the tribunal is that the arrests and detentions should not have been made and occurred for reasons other than those permitted by law.
The arrests arose after Bernard Conlon of Cartron Bay, Sligo alleged that on July 20th, 1998 the two men called to his home and threatened him with a silver bullet. Sligo gardaí then contacted Letterkenny gardaí and this led to the two arrests. Neither of the men was prosecuted.
Mr Conlon was subsequently convicted at Sligo Circuit Court in March 2002 of making false statements to gardaí. His trial heard that he had made the allegations against Mr McConnell and Mr Peoples because he was co-operating with and receiving money from gardaí who were involved in a plot against the McBreartys.
The tribunal will try to establish the facts surrounding the arrests and detentions, the treatment of the two while in custody, the reason for the arrests and whether they were based on correct legal grounds.