Gardaí are investigating an incident in which a Garda member's car and some of his uniform were allegedly stolen from outside his house by two men.
The two suspects recorded a video of themselves wearing items of the uniform and shared it on social media.
In the video, they are both wearing Garda hats. One is also wearing a Garda stab-proof vest and the other is brandishing an extendable baton, part of Garda-issued equipment.
Investigating gardaí believe the men made the video as a practical joke.
The two men were arrested by other gardaí who stopped the stolen car.
The Garda member whose car was stolen from outside his home in the Munster area has made a statement in the local Garda station. He said his car was stolen and that the two men later spotted in the vehicle did not have his permission to take it.
It is understood the items that were stolen were in the officer’s car when it was stolen from outside his home on Monday.
While local gardaí are carrying out a criminal investigation into the theft of the car and items of uniform, an internal disciplinary inquiry is also underway.
One of the two men now under investigation has convictions, including for minor drugs offences.
The internal inquiry is trying to determine the nature of the relationship, if any, between the two men and the Garda member whose car they are accused of stealing.
The inquiry is also trying to establish if the officer was in the company of the two men, perhaps as part of a larger group socialising together, around the time the car was stolen.
At present, social gatherings are not permitted under the public health measures in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus and gardaí have been dispersing such gatherings when they have been discovered.
However, Garda sources stressed that no findings had yet been arrived at in relation to the conduct of the man whose car was stolen. Furthermore, it had not been proven he had contravened any Garda rules, with the inquiry set to take some time.
The Garda member appears to have fallen asleep at his home and only discovered his car was gone after he woke up. Garda on patrol in the local area spotted two men in the car and stopped them, arresting one of them for drink driving.
It was only some time later that a video emerged showing the two men dressed in the Garda member’s items of uniform. That video appears to have been recorded outside a house.
In reply to queries from The Irish Times, Garda Headquarters confirmed gardaí were “investigating all the circumstances of a number of connected incidents” that occurred on April 20th.
“An Garda Síochána does not comment on ongoing internal disciplinary investigations,” it added of the internal inquiry.
