Willie O'Dea: I can't remember garda who gave me false information about Sinn Fein councillor
FORMER Defence Minister Willie O'Dea says he cannot remember the name of the garda who passed him false information about Sinn Fein councillor Maurice Quinlivan.
Four weeks after Limerick's most senior politician resigned from the Cabinet, it has emerged that he has been questioned by gardai investigating a perjury complaint made about Deputy O'Dea.
A Green Party activist in Dublin complained to gardai that Deputy O'Dea perjured himself when he signed an affidavit claiming he never told Limerick Leader reporter Mike Dwane that Cllr Quinlivan was involved in the ownership the apartment.
Gardai are also probing claims made in the Dail by Deputy O'Dea that a garda in Limerick had given him information which had led to him making the false allegations.
The Limerick politician told Irish Star newspaper that he had been interviewed by gardai and had told them he could not recall which officer leaked him the false information. "They asked me to reveal the name ... I can't remember," he said.
"I was interviewed informally by garda. They spoke to me. They just asked me generally how I came by the information." Asked if he told the investigating officers the name of the garda who game him the information he replied: "Oh God no. I don't remember. I could not tell them what I don't know."
Mike Dwane, Limerick Leader editor Alan English and deputy editor Eugene Phelan have been interviewed by gardai as part of the investigation.
A female garda was arrested this Thursday in connection with the leaking of information which led to the resignation of Trevor Sargent. The former Junior Minister stepped down after a newspaper revealed he had written to gardai about a constituent who was facing criminal proceedings.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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