GARDA WHISTLEBLOWER Superintendent David Taylor was sent a letter this morning informing him an internal disciplinary investigation into his case is still underway, TheJournal.ie can reveal.
Taylor returned to work three weeks ago at the Traffic Unit in Dublin Castle after a 22-month suspension. The former head of the Garda Press Office was arrested in 2015 and questioned for over 20 hours on suspicion of leaking information to journalists about two Roma children being removed from their families in May 2013.
Just last month, Taylor was reinstated to An Garda Síochána after being cleared by the Director of Public Prosecutions. At the time he said he felt he had been vindicated and that he would be “resuming that part of my life which has been put on hold since the start of this process”.
As is standard procedure in the organisation, an internal garda disciplinary investigation had been launched in tandem with the criminal probe. This disciplinary procedure was paused, however, pending the DPP’s decision.
Today Taylor received a letter from garda management informing him that they are now reviewing the initial internal allegations with a view to deciding whether disciplinary action is appropriate.
The threshold of proof in disciplinary investigations is lower than in that of a criminal investigation and it is understood An Garda Síochána does, on occasion, continue to pursue disciplinary action – even after the member of the force in question has been cleared by the DPP.
Justice Peter Charleton, the presiding judge in the Disclosures Tribunal into garda whistleblower allegations, last month described Taylor as a central witness. Taylor claims he was told to brief the media negatively that whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe was motivated in his action by malice and revenge.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say