A senior garda accused a sergeant who brought him a report on alleged garda corruption of “neglect of duty” and “underhand action”.
Chief superintendent Aidan Glacken made the claims against his junior colleague more than seven years after the sergeant met him to disclose allegations linking garda George Garvey to the midlands drug trade. According to Glacken, his colleague “only provided piecemeal information”.
It is understood that sergeant Andrew Haran, who is based at Athlone garda station, didn’t make a protected disclosure and the Disclosures Tribunal was not tasked with considering his allegations.
The Ditch recently reported that Glacken made contradictory statements during an internal probe into how he handled allegations of garda corruption in Athlone.
‘I find this shocking’
In January 2018 chief superintendent Aidan Glacken was interviewed under garda disciplinary regulations by assistant commissioner Anne Marie McMahon.
The interview concerned allegations he failed to act when sergeant Andrew Haran in September 2010 handed him a report that alleged that garda George Garvey was leaking operational intelligence to a heroin dealer with whom he was romantically involved.
Glacken, who was in charge of Athlone garda station from 2005 to 2012, criticised the officer who raised Garvey’s alleged wrongdoing.
“It would appear that sergeant Haran only provided piecemeal information and then sought to hinder or obstruct further investigation to substantiate his very serious allegations that may have put other persons (gardaí and public) at serious risk, by failing to provide names of persons who could assist or give credence to what he put in his report,” claimed Glacken in his 29 January, 2018 interview.
“I find this shocking, a neglecting of duty, unethical and a failure of a supervisory person to assist,” he said.
During his interview with McMahon, Glacken asked the assistant commissioner to investigate Haran.
“I require that this neglect is addressed with sergeant Haran and as to why he has made three differing statements to an investigation which alleged serious criminality and neglect of duty on my behalf. This is wholly unacceptable and indeed underhand action on behalf of sergeant Haran,” said Glacken.
At least three serving members of An Garda Síochána alleged that Glacken, who is now head of policing in counties Sligo and Leitrim, failed to act on allegations of garda corruption in Athlone. The Ditch understands that garda management completed its disciplinary investigation in 2018 and didn’t take any further action against the chief superintendent.
When asked if Glacken stands over his 2018 remarks about Haran, a spokesperson for the garda press office said it “does not comment on a narrative that purports to have been made within confidential internal garda correspondence as part of official garda investigations by or about named individuals”.
