Former PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde has been awarded 'significant' libel damages over false allegations made in the Sunday World newspaper.
The settlement has not been made public, but it is believed to be one of the biggest in Northern Ireland.
In May 2007, the Sunday World published an article under the headline 'Orde's son's US flights paid by PSNI'.
It went on to claim that the former PSNI Chief Constable had used public money to pay for his son's trip to Washington for St Patrick's Day functions.
In addition to agreeing to pay out the undisclosed sum, lawyers for the papers' publishers also issued an apology at the High Court in Belfast this morning.
It stated that the defendant, Sunday Newspapers Ltd, accepted that Mr Orde's son had not travelled with him on the flights mentioned in the article, and that allegation was untrue.
The statement apologised for any upset and embarrassment caused to the now President of the UK's Association of Chief Police Officers.
Mr Hugh's lawyer said his client was extremely disappointed that it had taken so long for the newspaper to apologise.
He added the Sunday World journalist had travelled to the US with the then Chief Constable, and ought to have been well aware that his son had not accompanied him.
