Expect long drawn out investigations, as the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC); (latter the independent agency, set up in 2007 to deal with matters involving possible misconduct by members of the Garda Síochána), is set to employ outside financial investigators and more staff in their efforts to track down suspected fraudulent activity. This activity involves the suspected unauthorised movement of monies from an EU police training programme, to an account at the Garda Templemore Training College, Templemore, Co. Tipperary, before being transferred out to a mysterious ‘Cabra account’.
Informants claim that some 5% of monies, given by the European Union (EU) agency CEPOL, latter an EU agency for law enforcement, were placed in a bank account in Cabra, Co Dublin before being exhausted on entertainment for Gardaí, rather than their designated target of Garda training courses.
To this end, GSOC have decided to commence an investigation, pursuant to S. 102 (4) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, on the basis of the receipt of information, as set out in the Draft Audit Report on EU-Funded Training Programmes/Projects, and dated June 19th 2017.
GSOC at the end of June were informed by the Department of Justice and Equality, working in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; that posts for four investigators, together with a support staff member had been sanctioned to assist in the investigation of protected disclosures made to GSOC.
It is understood that personnel with the relevant skills are being considered to enable the investigation to further progress, and will include personnel from outside GSOC’s normal remit.
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