A rural garda who was temporarily suspended after giving an unclaimed bicycle to a local elderly man has been cleared by an internal disciplinary inquiry.
According to previous reports, the officer was investigated after it emerged he gave the bike away without filling out the required paperwork during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA), welcoming the outcome, said the case had “blown apart” efforts at good community policing.
The garda was reinstated to duty last summer having been cleared by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI). However, he still faced disciplinary proceedings with charges including discreditable conduct and misuse of property, and was barred from dealing with the public.
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On Tuesday the board of inquiry rejected those charges following a recent four-day hearing.
GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin welcomed the panel’s recommendation that Commissioner Drew Harris now completely clears the member of any wrongdoing and said he awaited the publication of the full report.
“This was a case where good, decent community policing, which is at the very heart of why we are trusted by the people we serve, was blown apart and relationships destroyed,” Mr Slevin said.
“In essence I believe a sledgehammer of discipline was used to crack a nut and the reputation of a long serving member was damaged, his honesty questioned and his livelihood threatened.”
Mr Slevin said the situation had “once again” illustrated a disconnect between management of An Garda Síochána (AGS) and its frontline officers.
“[It shows] a lack of common sense and proportionality when investigating community facing policing issues,” he said.
“This has been systemic in AGS of late with a policy of ‘suspend first, ask questions later’ approach.”
The GRA said it would raise the issue during a meeting with Justice Minister Helen McEntee on Tuesday. A spokesman for An Garda Síochána said it did not comment on individual disciplinary processes including the outcome of boards of inquiry.
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