Ireland: Police Whistleblower Smeared as Child Abuser

[Idris2002]

There have been serious problems in An Garda Siochána since at least the 1970s. Every few years there's some new scandal, whether it's the Heavy Gang, the Kerry Babies case, or the very peculiar goings-on in Donegal.

Police corruption and abuse of power in the Republic of Ireland - and very possibly the same by the political class as well - has now reached a new nadir: a serving police officer, who tried to blow the whistle on corruption in the force, has been smeared as a child abuser. This smear has involved the child protection agency, Tusla, and could inflict major damage on child protection work in the Republic of Ireland as a whole. It has also been since withdrawn as being entirely without foundation. But the implications of this don't need to be spelled out

Did dark forces try to silence Garda McCabe? - Independent.ie

"There is no doubt as to Maurice McCabe’s probity and integrity. However, as is the case for anyone who speaks truth to power in Ireland, Sergeant McCabe has not been rewarded. Instead, he has been punished."

Tom Clonan: Ireland never rewards whistleblowers like Maurice McCabe and me - it punishes us

 

[teqniq]

Seems to be the case broadly for whistleblowers the world over. Governments and organisations pay lip-service to the concept except when it involves their own wrongdoings, then out comes the iron fist.

 

[petee]

I've been following this as best I can and it's enraging. it seems by now that mccabe has regained his reputation and o'sullivan has lost hers. it's not justice yet.

 

[Idris2002]

8den, Cheesypoof and (the evil one, say not his name) Casually Red are the only Oirish urbanites actually at home at the mo. What's their take on this one, I wonder?

E2A: "Their", not "there". I never used to make that error.

 

[8den]

8den, Cheesypoof and (the evil one, say not his name) Casually Red are the only Oirish urbanites actually at home at the mo. What's there take on this one, I wonder?

Govt are flying back ministers to secure the votes necessary to defeat a motion of no confidence in the Minister of Justice. Childrens Minister Independent Zappone position looking increasingly untenable.

 

[8den]

Also the Project Eagle report is out and Noonan does not come off well.

Report: Noonan acted inappropriately - Nama sale flawed | BusinessPost.ie

 

[Chilli.s]

It seems obvious that whistleblowing should be done anonymously. For the safety of the whistleblower.

 

[8den]

It seems obvious that whistleblowing should be done anonymously. For the safety of the whistleblower.

Yeah, about that

Govt reveals: Incoming and outgoing calls at Garda stations taped ‘since the 1980s’

 

[agricola]

It seems obvious that whistleblowing should be done anonymously. For the safety of the whistleblower.

It should be, though in an awful lot of cases it will be relatively easy to work out who it was - the information that the whistle is blown about might well only be known to a few people.

 

[Cheesypoof]

8den, Cheesypoof and (the evil one, say not his name) Casually Red are the only Oirish urbanites actually at home at the mo. What's their take on this one, I wonder?

E2A: "Their", not "there". I never used to make that error.

I'm very much in favour of whistleblowing especially when it comes to exposing unethical behaviour where this abuses of power are involved. In Ireland, somehow, for bravely coming forward whistleblowers seem to get punished, not applauded.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Cops in corruption shocker...

 

[8den]

Cops in corruption shocker...

The depth and breadth of the scale of the corruption. Somehow an official complaint from the child protection agency re sexual abuse ended up in the file of a major Garda whistleblower. It stayed on his file, without his knowing or any form of investigation, for YEARS, and we're supposed to believe that the 1st the Garda Commissioner this was a few days ago?

At the very least this is complicity in two state agencies to smear a man who's endured assaults on his character in the press, and at political rallies. With help from the state media.

5 Things You Need To Know About Maurice McCabe and Police Corruption In Ireland.

Also in the last few days, the HSE has had its own scandal.

HSE criticised over 'hidden' waiting lists

 

[Saul Goodman]

The depth and breadth of the scale of the corruption. Somehow an official complaint from the child protection agency re sexual abuse ended up in the file of a major Garda whistleblower. It stayed on his file, without his knowing or any form of investigation, for YEARS, and we're supposed to believe that the 1st the Garda Commissioner this was a few days ago?

At the very least this is complicity in two state agencies to smear a man who's endured assaults on his character in the press, and at political rallies. With help from the state media.

5 Things You Need To Know About Maurice McCabe and Police Corruption In Ireland.

Also in the last few days, the HSE has had its own scandal.

HSE criticised over 'hidden' waiting lists

I'm all too aware of the waiting list problem. I was waiting for an MRI scan for 18 months, and ended up paying to get it done privately.

 

[8den]

For over 3years the HSE kept calling my GMIL to check if she still wanted her glaucoma operation. Presumably, they were really checking up as to whether she'd died or not (so they could technically tick her off the "waiting list") and not that her glaucoma had gone into spontaneous remission.

 

[Idris2002]

The depth and breadth of the scale of the corruption. Somehow an official complaint from the child protection agency re sexual abuse ended up in the file of a major Garda whistleblower. It stayed on his file, without his knowing or any form of investigation, for YEARS, and we're supposed to believe that the 1st the Garda Commissioner this was a few days ago?

At the very least this is complicity in two state agencies to smear a man who's endured assaults on his character in the press, and at political rallies. With help from the state media.

5 Things You Need To Know About Maurice McCabe and Police Corruption In Ireland.

Also in the last few days, the HSE has had its own scandal.

HSE criticised over 'hidden' waiting lists

First link is interesting, but jesus h., does no one know about proofreading anymore?

 

[Idris2002]

Oh, Enda.

► VIDEO: Taoiseach admits his version of Zappone conversation was 'not accurate'

 

[8den]

Sounds as if the Cabinet are attempting to trip each over to see who "falls" on their sword first.

Political cluelessness will fail to prompt any rolling of heads

 

[Idris2002]

Cops in corruption shocker...

I'd forgotten you were a green jersey wearer, sorry!

 

[N_igma]

8den, Cheesypoof and (the evil one, say not his name) Casually Red are the only Oirish urbanites actually at home at the mo. What's their take on this one, I wonder?

E2A: "Their", not "there". I never used to make that error.

So you think I'm British eh?

I find it hard to have any compassion towards any police officer but in this case I will. Causing a furore anyway election just around the corner I think.

 

[LiamO]

8den, Cheesypoof and (the evil one, say not his name) Casually Red are the only Oirish urbanites actually at home at the mo. What's their take on this one, I wonder?

ahem.

 

[LiamO]

Another one...
Fine Gael TD: A senior garda came to me with McCabe smears - Independent.ie

to be added to the TD, who was head of the Public Accounts Committee, being briefed 'off the record' in a pre-arranged, clandestine meeting with then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan in a car park about the very same stuff nearly 3 years ago.

And former deputy leader of the Labour Party re-iterating on the telly once again that he had exactly the same experience (this time with a 'friend' who was a retired senior Garda Officer) also 3 years ago.

And Enda changng his story twice in 16 minutes in the Dail yesterday.

Their challenges are...
1. Who can safely be thrown under the bus? Problem here is that anybody senior enough to plausibly take the rap also knows where all the other bodies (and there rae many) are buried.

For example, when they tried to shaft the former head of the Garda Press Office Former head of Garda Press Office 'delighted' to be back at work after 22-month suspension
for alledgedly 'leaking information to the Press' he immediately made a 'protected disclosure' that that was actually part of his job (!) - and that Garda Commissioner Noirín O'Sullivan had him run the black propaganda campaign against Sgt McCabe. It remains to be seen what he does/says now that he is 'back in the fold'.

Who knows what the next sacrificial lamb will expose? And that is what they are all scared of.

2. They are all shit scared of the 'who knew what, when?'
If you knew a on date b, why did you not do x,y z?

They are fucked. All of them.

3. The only ones who come out of this with reputations unharmed/enhanced are the likes of lefty TDs such as Clare Daly, Mick Wallace (who have consistently been to the fore in all matters Garda-related); Shane Ross (before he became a part of the government) and (to a lesser extent) Sinn Féin, particularly Pearse Doherty. My understanding is that the Shinners have (to their credit) been directing concerned citizens/whistleblowers to the aforementioned TDs, rather than making politcal hay for themselves, for obvious reasons.

 

[LiamO]

This is much, much bigger than the individual cases.

Be interesting to see how they wriggle out of it - and wriggle they must because the very foundations of their corrupt state will wobble if they cannot get the lid put back on this.

They badly need fall-guys/gals. My money says we should expect the announcement that some poor, recently-deceased soul (or souls) is to blame.

Fianna Fail were not slow to shaft Brian Lenihan (over the bank bail-out) once he had conveniently shuffled off this mortal coil.

 

[LiamO]

I was also told last night, by a friend from amongst the Unionist community, that the Shinners are sitting on something absolutely massive about Arlene (or more particularly her very close family) and the RHI scandal. He reckons it is common knowledge amongst unionists and that the only reason Sinn Fein are not using it yet is a) because they want someone on the other side to be seen to be the ones to do it; b) they may keep it to use as a bargaining tool post-election.

 

[Idris2002]

I was also told last night, by a friend from amongst the Unionist community, that the Shinners are sitting on something absolutely massive about Arlene (or more particularly her very close family) and the RHI scandal. He reckons it is common knowledge amongst unionists and that the only reason Sinn Fein are not using it yet is a) because they want someone on the other side to be seen to be the ones to do it; b) they may keep it to use as a bargaining tool post-election.

Sit on it too long and everyone will know it, like everyone knows Peter and Iris' domestic arrangements (emphasis on the 'domestic' if you know what I mean).

 

[LiamO]

Sit on it too long and everyone will know it, like everyone knows Peter and Iris' domestic arrangements (emphasis on the 'domestic' if you know what I mean).

They apparently already do.

It may be that it is just so preposterous, so outrageous that SF are scared to broach the subject. They would need to be absolutely certain that this was demonstrably true - and that the paper trail was clear - before they let it out. And how can they be certain they are not being fed black propaganda themselves? The allegation is almost too good to be true.
My understanding is that the allegation is widely known and that all the Shinners have been told very plainly (from on high) that they cannot be seen to be the ones making this public.

Sit on it too long and everyone will know it

'Everyone' apparently knows about the key figures in the Cerberus/NAMA affair - but nobody is saying ahything in public. Obviously the Free State is not making any real noise over it for the obvious reason that if the light is shone into the darker corners of NAMA's dealings north of the border, than someone will make a similar demand south of it. Then they are all in shit street.

like everyone knows Peter and Iris' domestic arrangements (emphasis on the 'domestic' if you know what I mean).

Not sure I do. Feel free to PM me with detail.

 

[krtek a houby]

ahem.

Ahem away; you're British. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. But still. Stop pretending.

 

[krtek a houby]

They apparently already do.

It may be that it is just so preposterous, so outrageous that SF are scared to broach the subject. They would need to be absolutely certain that this was demonstrably true - and that the paper trail was clear - before they let it out. And how can they be certain they are not being fed black propaganda themselves? The allegation is almost too good to be true.
My understanding is that the allegation is widely known and that all the Shinners have been told very plainly (from on high) that they cannot be seen to be the ones making this public.



'Everyone' apparently knows about the key figures in the Cerberus/NAMA affair - but nobody is saying ahything in public. Obviously the Free State is not making any real noise over it for the obvious reason that if the light is shone into the darker corners of NAMA's dealings north of the border, than someone will make a similar demand south of it. Then they are all in shit street.



Not sure I do. Feel free to PM me with detail.

"The Free State". FFS

 

[Idris2002]

Please don't do this, krtek a houby.

 

[krtek a houby]

Please don't do this, krtek a houby.

Fair enough, out of respect to you and the importance of this thread, I'll stick to observer status.

 

[Idris2002]

Fair enough, out of respect to you and the importance of this thread, I'll stick to observer status.

I hope you do.