I understand your concern, Mr. Chair, but because you focused on the expression “friends” twice, I would like to clarify something from the outset.
When I applied for the position I currently occupy, the first page of my CV stated that I had held an administrative position within Garda that, at the time, had a staff of approximately 2,000. Today, Garda has more than 20,000 employees. So, when you refer to my friends, remember that the company I was involved with at the time and the company that calls itself Garda today are as different as day and night.
I would not want to infer from your comments — because that would be very hurtful to me — that you were implying something negative in your use of the word friends.