The judge who will lead the inquiry into the current Garda scandal is expected to be named today.

The investigation is being launched by the Justice Minister after two senior officers claimed they’d been involved in a smear campaign against a whistleblower.

The Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan denies any knowledge of the incident and says she’ll support an investigation into it.

But Political Editor of the Irish Examiner Daniel Mc Connell, says one of the Gardaí at the centre of the scandal fears the inquiry won’t get to the truth: “Because his mobile phone has been essentially seized, he won’t have full access to the relevant text traffic to bolster his case and my understanding is that without that he would feel at a disadvantage.

“I think there was also concerns expressed that unless Noirin O’Sullivan stood aside whatever inquiry process took place would be in some way hampered.”