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Bailey with his partner Jules Thomas outside the Supreme Court in Dublin yesterday Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Ian Bailey

Garda Ombudsman investigating Ian Bailey complaint - Shatter

The Justice Minister has said that it is “clearly desirable” that the matters related to Ian Bailey be investigated.

JUSTICE MINISTER ALAN Shatter has said that the Garda Ombudsman is investigating a complaint from Ian Bailey who yesterday won his High Court appeal against being extradited to France.

Alan Shatter confirmed in a statement this afternoon that the Garda Ombudsman Commission is investigating a complaint relating to documentation from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The documentation is believed to relate to a series of reasons An Garda Siochána were given by the DPP for not prosecuting a case against Bailey over the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier near her holiday home in west Cork in December 1996.

The former journalist yesterday had his extradition to France to face questioning over the murder of French woman du Plantier overturned on appeal.

“I believe that it is clearly desirable that these matters be investigated in the public interest and that the Ombudsman Commission is the appropriate body to do so,” Shatter said today.

Contacted by TheJournal.ie this afternoon, a spokesperson for the Garda Ombudsman would say only: “On foot of receiving a complaint, we have launched an investigation into the matter.”

Shatter added that he was now also consulting with the Attorney General to establish why the documentation has only emerged after the High Court ruled that Bailey be extradited to France and just prior to the Supreme Court overturning that judgement on appeal.

Read: Ian Bailey wins extradition appeal

Read: Bailey says his life became “absolutely hell” in years after du Plantier death