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Updated 11.20pm
A GSOC INQUIRY into how information about a security sweep ended up on the front page of the Sunday Times has been unable to identify who made the disclosure.
Mark Connaughton SC was asked to conduct a fact-finding investigation following this year’s bugging scandal.
On 9 February, the Sunday Times reported that a surveillance operation was used to hack into the emails, wi-fi system and phones at the Garda Ombudsman’s office.
What followed was months of debate, investigations, reports and eventually the resignation of the Justice Minister.
Eventually it was found that there was no evidence that the GSOC headquarters was bugged by the gardaí – or anybody else.
Justice John Cooke said in his concluding report in June that the evidence:
does not support the proposition that actual surveillance of the kind asserted in the Sunday Times article took place and much less that it was carried out by members of the Garda Síochána.
For this separate GSOC inquiry, the journalist who wrote that article, John Mooney, was invited to cooperate with the probe but the offer was declined.
The report, the findings of which were released today, looked to examine the facts of the events which led to the publication of his story.
During the probe, the information which appeared in the public domain was compared with all possible source documents, to establish what specific documents and data seemed to have been available to the journalist and what documents were not.
It also examined who may have had access to the documents containing information gleaned by the journalist, internally and externally.
Connaughton said he received the co-operation of all current and former GSOC staff, all of whom he interviewed.
The investigating Senior Counsel was also given access to email correspondence, photocopier logs, CCTV recordings, documentation pertaining to investigations and internal policies and procedures, as well as technical analysis of any mobile phones requested.
In a statement today, GSOC said that the report was “unable to establish individual responsibility for any disclosure, either on the part of an employee of GSOC or any other party”.
“It concludes that it is difficult to identify what additional information could usefully advance matters, short of obtaining the co-operation of the journalist in question, who declined the invitation.”
Although a copy will be given to the Minister for Justice, the report will not be published because it “contains personal data which is impossible to redact effectively”.
GSOC also said that it believes “proportionate measures” have been taken to find out what happened ahead of 9 February. It, therefore, has decided that there are no further “useful measures” to be found.
“In these circumstances, no further action is intended,” the statement continued.
First published 3.27pm
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So they are “investigated” by a court officer. He can’t find out which one of the 7 suspects leaked it and then GSOC themselves decide that they have been investigated enough and that’s that. This is unbelievable. They leak absolute claptrap lies stating that they are under surveillance. The report shows that they weren’t but then it’s too late because the tinfoil hat brigade can’t be reasoned with. They then have access to PULSE and Garda intelligence and still no one knows which one of their crew has been talking to the media. This is not good enough at all. The Gardai are publicly berated and scrutinised for every perceived wrong they do yet GSOC can literally do what they like without consequence.
Excellent comment, couldn’t agree more.
The gardai have done a huge amount of wrong, there was nothing perceived about it.
Don’t be bitter they are no longer a law unto themselves. God forbid GSOC has access to pulse? Allowing somebody to investigate the almighty gardai isn’t a bad thing.
Outstanding reply David. What you will find if you bothered to check is that the vast majority of prosecutions and convictions recorded against Gardai are the result of investigations conducted by Gardai not GSOC. The main thing though is that you and like minded biased individuals have the delusion that GSOC are a discreet, fair and competent organisation. They always had access to PULSE except it was supervised. Now it is unsupervised. You think this is acceptable considering their behaviour over the last few months? Carry on then….
`But then @john you are a cop`you would say that any way
Nice horse Harry. Better than looking at the usual photo of your rather sinister mush…
Nail on head
Sure unless it’s a gouger telling lies, or doing their best to get Gardai into trouble to justify their existence, they’re useless!!
Wouldn’t stop if it was gardai they were investigating….
Absolute fact. GSOC is being given further very extensive powers by Government without any review or inquiry into its behaviours. How can people trust and oversight body that itself is compromised by scandal.
What do the Garda ombudsman and my plumber have in common? I pay for them both but they can’t find the leak
Terrible
How can the Gardai or the general public have any confidence in GSOC. They are a total joke and a waste of tax payers money. How they could not find out who leaked the story is incredible considering only 7 people knew the contents of the Verrimus Report. When John Mooney reported that a surveillance operation was used to hack into the emails, wi-fi system and phones at the Garda Ombudsman’s office – did he exaggerate what was leaked to him? GSOC has now been given extra powers and access to Pulse. How can anyone trust them that this is not still happening? So much for the Official Secrets Act! The conclusion is 1) they should not be trusted and 2) they are incompetent as investigators.
Keep fighting the good fight to keep the gardai a law unto themselves.
Something stinks about the whole affair.
These guys are tasked with keeping an eye and investigating 13000 members of our police force yet they can’t keep an eye or find out which of the 7 members who had access to the report leaked it? Are you fu**ing joking me? How has the head ombudsman managed to keep his job? It’s farcical at best
Why hasn’t the report been published. The findings are utter rubbish so I’d like to see how they arrived at their findings. If this was a report into the Gardai and it wasn’t published there would be uproar and every lefty loon crying blue bloody murder. This stinks to high heaven and nobody but nobody is highlighting this.
“I suppose we’d better find out who told the journalist. Hey journalist, who told you?”
“Mind your own business.”
“Grand so. That’s us done here.”
Should the kneecap him?
I don’t see the issue. You can’t force him to reveal his source.
Simon o Brien should be sacked. Burying their heads in the sand. Who is governing this shower of incompetent beep beep.
This is completely unsatisfactory. As a result of this whitewash The Sunday Times has unfettered access to the Garda Pulse System.
Come on Clancy you know that’s not true. Cops stick together like…. In Shoot
The cops are back just look at the green thumb markers within this arranged PR effort ..your goose is cooked the lies dam lies and covert cover ups is Disgusting and that is why both the commissioner and shatter had to go ;; stop the con and do your jobs as per your Oath and the law and the constitution
Harry Price you are fairly ‘disgusting’ yourself and you are no shining example for anyone.
I’d say it lies within the management of GSOC – KF
You have got to be shitting me, 7 people had access to this one report and they cant find the leak. Why arent they all asked to resign?
Another Red Herring.
Gsoc double standards = no standards
This is some costly fiasco for us taxpayers. This quango GSOC was set up to investigate public complaints against Gardai and lined itself up with expert investigators. Yet when it needs to investigate perceived problems within itself it hires, at our expense, a British firm and finally a Senior Council. Both produce flimsey reports to justify their expenses and as usual at the top in this country nobody is to blame.
Why did not Mr O’Brien, the CEO, investigate the matter when it first appeared in the press.
This Government promised to reduce quangos yet we will be adding another one, the Garda Authority, to manage the Gardai in addition to GSOC and the Garda Inspectorate.
Maybe an offer was made attractive enough that could not be refused? The “media” also have a responsibility in all of this. Maybe we need an enquiry into press standards in Ireland similar to the recent one in the UK?
Phew, off the hook!
Utterly dysfunctional organisation, based on everything seen to date.
I cannot tell a lie,it was C_____ D____
There must have been spying as it all began with
Dun du dun dun don, dun du du dun don
Always remember, the press rule the country. They decide what the deciders have decided you must think or know
I suggest the answer lies within the Gadai and the Department of Justice two totally transparent organs of state!
Yawn!
Seeing as GSOC kept the report under wraps and did not report the alleged bugging to Dept of Justice and/or the Gardai, I fail to see how they (Dept/Garda) could leak details of a report they didn’t even know existed.
You should apply to join GSOC because you powers of deduction match theirs.
I would imagine it’s a high ranking officer in GSOC which leaked the story, it’s no wonder they can’t find the leak.
http://www.allacronyms.com/GSOC/German_Space_Operations_Center
Check out what GSOC really means!
Firstly it would to nice to find out who bugged the GSOC , then we can worry who leaked the story , was it Garda of was it military intelligence, either way the state is watching , always watching .
Nobody bugged them Kevin, nobody. They weren’t bugged Kevin. That we now know.
so john why , oh why did they lie ??
Think about it Kevin. They obviously thought that they were being bugged because sensitive information was being leaked. They then get some ex British Intel experts over who charge an arm and a leg and have to justify their bill by showing certain “anomalies” that could suggest that someone could have bugged it in certain circumstances (insomnia coffee wifi network). GSOC are still wondering how the sensitive information is being leaked and presume that the Gardai must be behind it. Then news of the top secret security sweep ends up on the front page. Oops GSOC feel a bit stupid because after blaming the Gardai and spending a fortune of taxpayers money they realise that it’s one of their own that is leaking the information all along and that they weren’t bugged at all. Feeling silly they then hide behind a cloak of devious suggestions and implications which causes a furore and blackens the Gardai yet again. They claim that they were being followed and watched at various times yet they don’t bother to take reg plates or pictures themselves. Every institution they have contact with are tarnished yet they are arrogantly still carrying on as normal. How do I complain about them??
Kinsaleable
your points are well laid out and thats a solid argument , I tip my tin foil hat to you sir
Thank you Kevin. Unfortunately you don’t belong in the tinfoil hat brigade though. You have a reasonableness and polite manner that would mean they would not accept you
Sickening to see the amount of Gardai posting here under fake names
……. said ‘Roscom-Man’…. Surely the irony of your post is not lost even on you?
Why don’t you put your real name up and then you can criticise others. Christ, there are some loons all the same on this site.
You sad dick
Eh wasnt it an English company that does these kinds of sweeps all the time that told GSOC. And as I remember the report stated that there was evidence of bugging not proof just the fact that hardware that is used for bugging was located in the are near GSOC. Now John Cookes report does not support the proposition that actual surveillance of the kind asserted in the Sunday Times article took place and much less that it was carried out by members of the Garda Síochána. because that couldnt be proved with the info available. Dunno who did it but that equipment in the area, chances are GSOC was the target.
There was no equipment found. There were digital “anomalies”. In other words a vague term to justify a large bill to “sweep for bugs”. It’s a great ploy because it leaves the Gardai trying to prove a negative which is almost impossible.
I did it……….oops
Surly the detectives leak info all the time in order to gather more intelligence from certain sections within the force itself ? I suspect it happens in all police forces and that is their job.
GSOC seems to only have a problem with Gardaí leaking stories, since they only properly investigate those incidents.
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