Evidence wait for detective garda accused of bribery and facilitating organised crime

Tom Tuite

A detective garda accused of facilitating an organised crime gang, bribery and possessing over 100 rounds of ammunition has been remanded on bail while prosecutors prepare a book of evidence.

Eoghan Clerkin (51) was the fourth of five Dublin-based gardaí - including an inspector and a retired Superintendent - to be charged last month following a wider corruption probe by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) and appeared at Dublin District Court on Monday.

He was initially remanded in custody due to the nature of the case until the High Court later granted bail.

He appeared again at the District Court on Friday, when Judge Karen Dowling noted a State application for further time to draft the book of evidence.

The officer did not address the court and was ordered to appear again in four weeks.

His solicitor, Jennifer Kavanagh, said her client was applying for legal aid and provided a statement of his means.

NBCI Detective Inspector Mark Watters told Judge Dowling he wished to make enquiries about the statement, and she then deferred ruling on the legal aid request.

The court heard on April 13th that he made no reply when charged with three offences.

On February 19th, 2018, while serving as a member of An Garda Síochána, he is alleged to have corruptly attempted to obtain a gift, consideration, or advantage from an individual as an inducement or reward for performing or omitting an act related to his position. It is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to another allegation, under section 27A(1) of the Firearms Act 1964, he unlawfully possessed 33 rifle rounds and 73 rounds of 9mm ammunition at an address in west Dublin.

From January 12th, 2018, to June 13th, 2019, he is accused of facilitating the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation. He has yet to enter a plea.

Also before the court are: retired Garda superintendent John Murphy and three other Dublin-based serving gardaí.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that they face trial on indictment, and they are scheduled to appear again in court in June.

Murphy, aged 65, and Detective Aidan Stratford face allegations covering five years.

It is alleged that they participated in or contributed to activities intended to facilitate serious offences by a criminal organisation, between April 12th, 2016 and September 29th, 2021, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

Murphy has seven separate bribery charges under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018. The ex-superintendent also faced four common law charges for communicating with a serving member of An Garda Síochána in a manner intended to pervert the course of public justice from April 2016 to January 2018.

Detective Aidan Stratford (50) has another 170 charges, including disclosing confidential information or corruptly accepting a gift, inducement, or reward on February 25th, 2020.

The court heard that "I deny the charge" was his reply to each allegation.

Garda Manus Keane, aged 46, is charged with a single offence under section 62 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. It states that on November 13th, 2014, he, a serving member, disclosed confidential information to Aidan Stratford about a different individual, which was likely to have a harmful effect.

Garda Inspector Brian Roberts (51) was the fifth officer charged as part of the investigation and is accused of unlawfully disclosing confidential information on October 10th, 2018.