Ex-P.M. demands ‘bug’ probe

Press, 21 January 1983, Page 6

Ex-P.M. demands ‘bug’ probe

NZPA-Heuter Dublin The former Prime Minister. Charles Haughey. has demanded a judicial inquiry into allegations by Ireland's new Government of official bugging under his Administration. Mr Haughey. whose Fianna Fail party was defeated in a November General Election, denied all knowledge of such incidents, few details of which have been disclosed. He said in a television interview that Dr Garret Fitz Gerald's Fine GaelLabour coalition was making “unfounded allegations and unsubstantial statements." But he said that the charges were too serious and

had damaged the reputations of too many people to remain unprobed. Informed sources said that the Government was likely to agree to a judicial investigation. After a long Cabinet meeting a Government spokesman said that police equipment was used during Mr haughey's time in office to bug a political conversation. The taped conversation was later transcribed, using police facilities.

The bugging was discovered during investigations into allegations that the telephones of two Dublin political journalists had been tapped. The journalists had been recorded while reporting

about internal disputes within the then ruling Fianna Pail party.

Pail party. Among the many questions still unanswered was just what the spokesman meant by “bugging." His statement did not make clear whether a participant in the conversation had recorded it without the knowledge of the other or whether outsiders had eavesdropped on people who did not know they were being recorded.

The spokesman said that he did not know whether the alleged bugging was illegal but it certainly seemed highly irregular.