The Garda watchdog is investigating a claim that an officer directed others in the force to caution a staff member from the Department of the Taoiseach after a public order incident rather than deal with the case as a criminal matter.
Another member of the force has made a complaint setting out the allegations, which are now being examined by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).
A statement from the department said neither Taoiseach Leo Varadkar nor anyone else in the department knew about the incident at the time. It added that Mr Varadkar became aware of any incident only last Friday when a media query was received. The complaint emerged in the Mail on Sunday.
“There is therefore no question of the Taoiseach or any official of the department having contacted the gardaí about the matter,” the statement said.
It added that the person at the centre of the case was not appointed by Mr Varadkar and had worked at the department for years before he became Taoiseach.
Soiling charge
It is alleged that on the last weekend of June the department staff member became involved in a dispute with a taxi driver in Dublin. The driver demanded that a €160 soiling charge be paid, but the civil servant refused.
The taxi driver then took the passenger to a nearby Garda station. It is alleged the civil servant became abusive to gardaí and again refused to pay the charge, resulting in arrest. The complaint now being investigating by GSOC claims the case was initially being processed as a criminal matter, involving a court summonses.
However, the Garda member who has made the complaint alleges a senior officer directed the civil servant be dealt with by way of caution, which does not result in a court appearance or possible criminal conviction.
It is further alleged the senior officer did this to save the Taoiseach’s office and the civil servant from embarrassment. The Garda member who has made the complaint alleges those actions amount to interference with the justice system.
The civil servant was contacted by the garda the morning after the incident. A caution was issued and €160 paid to gardaí for the taxi driver.
However, one of the gardaí directly involved continued to process the case as a criminal matter. A summons was generated despite the matter being dealt with by way of a caution.
Neither the Garda nor GSOC were in a position to comment on the matter on Sunday.
