Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan claimed to the O’Higgins Inquiry that whistleblower Maurice McCabe was acting “with malice”, while publicly promoting him.

Documents seen by the Irish Examiner show that at the very early stages, the inquiry was told by senior counsel for Commissioner O’Sullivan that evidence would be produced to show that Sgt McCabe had told two other officers that he was making his complaints because of malice he harboured towards a senior officer.

In May 2014, then acting commissioner O’Sullivan told a joint Oireachtas committee that Sgt McCabe had the full support of garda management.

In September 2014, after Sgt McCabe raised further concerns about the penalty points system, the commissioner appointed him to the Professional Standards Unit to assist in reforming the system.

Regarding the claims of “malice”, the inquiry was informed that the two officers had taken notes at the meeting in question and prepared a report which was forwarded to a senior officer.

However, a few days after the submission, Sgt McCabe informed Mr O’Higgins he had a tape recording of the meeting in question.

The commission took possession of the recording and arranged for a transcript to be created.

Mr O’Higgins indicated that the transcript coincided precisely with Sgt McCabe’s version of events and was in conflict with the allegation that he had told the two officers he was motivated by malice.

Following that, no evidence to show malice was called from the two officers who were at the meeting.

The failed attempt to impugn Sgt McCabe’s character did not appear in the O’Higgins report. The retired judge stated that Sgt McCabe was an entirely truthful witness and his bona fides were fully accepted.

Read the full report on irishexaminer.com. (Excerpts from Mick Clifford’s article in today’s Irish Examiner used here with permission).