David Raleigh
An All-Ireland winning hurler has been arrested on suspicion of committing perjury before a court arising out of an internal Garda probe into the alleged squaring away of road traffic offences.
The man, in his 20s, appeared by appointment at a garda station in Limerick on Tuesday morning.
Gardaí have charged the well-known sportsman who is due to appear before Limerick District Court on Tuesday.
“As part of an ongoing criminal investigation gardaí this morning charged a male and is due to appear before Limerick District Court today,” said a garda spokesman.
The man was originally questioned by members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) in March 2021 arising out of a probe into alleged corruption in office involving a number of gardaí.
A retired Garda Superintendent along with four serving gardai have been charged as part of the same GNBCI probe.
These five accused were served with books of evidence in 2021, and are awaiting trial before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
The five, who are charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, were arrested on April 29th, 2021, having appeared by appointment at Mayorstone Garda Station in Limerick.
The five accused did not make any reply when charged.
At a previous hearing of Limerick District Court, solicitor Dan O’Gorman, representing one of the five accused - retired Superintendent Eamon O’Neill - said Mr O’Neill would be “vigorously contesting” all the charges.
The five accused are alleged to have been involved in squaring away fixed charge penalty notices for a number of individuals.
They are Eamon O’Neill, formerly Superintendent Limerick Division; Sgt Michelle Leahy, Roxboro Road Garda Station; Sgt Anne-Marie Hassett; Kerry & Limerick Garda Division; Garda Tom McGlinchey, Murroe Garda Station, and Garda Colm Geary, Clare Garda Division.
Mr O’Neill is charged with 30 counts; Sgt Leahy, two counts; Garda McGlinchey, four counts; Garda Geary, three counts; and Sgt Hassett, three counts.
The charges relate to alleged incidents on dates between October 9th, 2016, and September 6th, 2019, at various locations in Limerick and the wider Mid-West region.
As part of the same investigation several more serving gardaí have been suspended pending a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
These five officers have been on suspension without arrest or charge for the past two and half years.
