Irish Police corruption, booze and violence sponsored by Shell?

Members of the Irish police force, perhaps fueled by an alleged flood of free booze funded by Shell, smuggled across the border at Shell’s behest, have been accused of using excessive violence against Corrib gas pipeline protestors.

By John Donovan

Shell has had more than ample time to deny the allegations that it used an agent – OSSL – to distribute alcohol on its behalf to hundreds of Irish police officers. The Garda has been accused of using excessive violence against protestors, perhaps fueled by the free booze sponsored by Shell?

Shell has allegedly spent tens of thousands of euros on the free booze. We have all seen the purported invoice.

Bearing in mind the carefully drafted wording of the Shell Code of Conduct, are Shell lawyers going to try to argue that there was no business transaction between Shell and the Irish police?

If so, the argument will not wash because there is a business transaction between the Corrib pipeline project partners and the Irish State, the employers of the police.

Some related information.

MEP claims he was assaulted at peaceful Corrib protest

Extract

“I have witnessed and experienced the Garda violence that is used against protestors on a daily basis. I participated in a peaceful sit-down protest in front of a truck used by Shell that had been mounted by a protester. In order to remove our peaceful sit-down protest, the Gardaí used a level of violence deliberately designed to inflict pain on the protestors,” Paul Murphy said.

Alleged excessive violence by the Garda against protestors is set out on pages 214 & 215 of the book: “ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST: The Corrib Gas Controversy” authored by Irish Times journalist Lorna Siggins.

COMMENT BY “OLD EP HAND”

SHELL CODE OF CONDUCT

It is as with all other issues, the more Shell talks about it, the less it is done. To need a document of 40 pages explaining ‘we will be decent’  is over the top. Especially since people targetted for bribes are normally the more senior ones with great brains and hopefully the ability to think for themselves.

Same with diversity. When it was not an issue, say before 1990, we had genuine diversity. X-postings increased, locals in snr management positions, women increasing. And then it became an issue to be managed. Immediately lots of talk, papers, conferences etc etc, but hardly any regionals in the central offices, x-postings collapsed and companies had to make deals directly (PDO sending Omanis to Nigeria and Brunei).

Then there were the talks of the importance of technical talent and engineers. But those actually declined and now they cannot drill a few holes in Alaska!

Would be nice if some PhD would write a book on this.

Returning to bribery and corruption, we had lectures on this during management training sessions. The teacher stated also that if you felt uneasy to talk freely about it, it probably was not OK. Everyone basically knows what is right and what is wrong. But many think they can get away with it. And we all know that in this era of internet, there are no hiding places anymore.

For the rest I don’t know about the Irish saga but reading it on your site it is clear something stinks into high heaven.