A former high profile TD is facing the risk of prosecution and being kicked off the road – after he was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, it has emerged.
The Mirror has established that the one time politician was arrested following a roadside drugs test in the west of the country in recent weeks.
Sources have told us that the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed an oral swab test – that indicated there was cocaine in his system.
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He was then arrested and taken to a nearby garda station, where a more sensitive blood test was taken from him.
We have also established that the car he was driving when he was stopped in a town in Connacht at around 1pm on June 12 had no NCT or tax.
The ex-TD is now sweating the results of that test – which is likely to take several weeks.
Sources say that test has been sent to the Medical Bureau for Road Safety in south Dublin – where all such samples are analysed.
If that test comes back positive, gardai will summon the politician to court, where he will be charged with drug driving.
On first conviction, that leads to a 5,000 fine, as well as a year’s disqualification.
But the judge also has the power to jail an offender for up to six months.
Sources stressed last night, however, that it was not a given that the former politician would face court.
One insider explained that the alleged cocaine in his system may have dissipated by the time he was brought to the Garda station for bloods, following the initial roadside test.
They said: “It is not uncommon for someone to fail the oral swab at the roadside but the main test the comes back negative and the person is in the clear.
“It does happen. Sometimes the traces of cocaine in the body’s system can go by the time they are brought to the station and tested there.
“So at this stage, he has committed no offence. It all depends on the results of the blood test.”
Sources say it could be several months before the ex-politician learns his fate.
Gardai declined to comment last night.
