The pressure was last night mounting on RTE to give Gardai access to its books as the Rural Independents Group declared: “Bring in the fraud squad.”
Mattie McGrath TD called on Justice Minister Helen McEntee to direct the Garda's National Economic Crime Bureau to probe senior RTE executives for “potential fraud”.
It follows a week of revelations including €345k in secret payments to Ryan Tubridy to top up his salary, and, separately, a €1.25million slush fund used for junkets and perks.
Deputy McGrath said of this week’s Oireachtas hearings: “The slow release of information revealed a culture of secrecy...
Read more: Leo Varadkar believes gardai could be asked to probe RTE’s secret slush fund
“I hold serious doubts about the upcoming committee meeting’s ability to reveal the complete truth to the public.
“The absence of the main figure at the centre of this controversy [Dee Forbes] prevents the full story from being told.”
He addded: “Involving the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau is the only way to ensure accountability and transparency for the public.”
Last night RTE confirmed the chair of its board Siun Ni Raghallaigh and incoming director general Kevin Bakhurst will attend a meeting with the Media Minister within days.
Minister Catherine Martin wants to discuss the timeline of a Grant Thornton review into Ryan Tubridy’s pay from 2017-2019 and Government plans for an external review of RTE.
A spokesperson for the RTE board confirmed that board members will attend the next session of the Oireachtas Media Committee – to be held next Wednesday.
Options to widen the scope of the Grant Thornton review are being considered – including the disclosure of all payments made through the slush fund barter account.
The Sunday Mirror understands that RTE has been asked to hand over specific documents ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the Oireachtas Media Committee.
These include a full and comprehensive list of the top 100 earners’ salary to be provided by next Tuesday as well as full details of Ryan Tubridy’s contract.
The State broadcaster has also been asked to supply a full list of transactions through the barter account for the past ten years – including all client entertainment and a list of all those who availed of it.
The Public Accounts Committee has reportedly made a separate list of demands, among them a request from Alan Kelly TD for details of the barter account going back 20 years.
Late on Friday PAC chair Brian Stanley TD said the committee was “armed” to legally compel Ryan Tubridy and others to testify before it, if necessary.
An Ireland Thinks Poll published by the Sunday Independent showed 73 per cent of people blame the RTE executive board for the controversy with just 7 per cent citing Ryan Tubridy.
The Cabinet is due to meet in coming days to discuss the terms of reference of an external review of RTE.
RTE officials were grilled for two days at both the Oireachtas Media and Public Accounts Committees this week.
Sinn Fein TD Imelda Munster, who sits on both committees, said both hearings heard evidence of “Celtic Tiger type splurging” at the State broadcaster.
She said: “After nine hours of committee hearings, the only thing they revealed were the levels of disregard which senior individuals within RTÉ spend taxpayers’ money.
“Plenty of perks and top ups for some of the very top and then cuts for everybody else within the organisation.
“The reputation of RTÉ is in tatters because of a few and the public are not going to accept that.”
On Friday RTE confirmed that Ryan Tubridy would remain off air – being paid his EUR10k a week radio salary in the interim.
They also confirmed that comedian Oliver Callan would continue to fill in for Tubridy next week, and that they would provide an update on Tubridy’s return next week.
