FLANAGAN LEADERSHIP LAMBASTED IN REPORT
THE OMAGH REPORT
Flanagan leadership lambasted in report
'Omagh bombers may never be caught'
By Mary Fitzgerald
THE chances of catching the Omagh bombers were severely compromised by the poor judgment and defective leadership of Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan claimed yesterday.
The scathing criticism was contained in a damning report into the investigation of the Omagh bombing published yesterday.
The much-leaked report outlines the circumstances leading up to the 1998 bombing which left 29 dead and hundreds injured in the worst single atrocity in the history of the Troubles.
The bulk of the controversial report centres on the way the RUC handled the investigation.
Mrs O'Loan said she concluded "with great sadness" that the judgment and leadership of the Chief Constable and the Assistant Chief Constable, Raymond White, had been "seriously flawed" during the bomb investigation.
In her report, she claims the chances of convicting the bombers have been significantly reduced as a result.
"This report is about a failure of leadership," she said. "The victims, their families, the people of Omagh and the officers of the RUC have been let down by defective leadership, poor judgement and a lack of urgency."
She also slated the RUC for being defensive and reluctant to help her.
Mrs O'Loan said she wanted to stress that "the people responsible for the bombing are those who planned and executed it".
The Ombudsman lambasted the role of Special Branch, criticising them for failing to pass on intelligence information warning of threatened dissident republican attacks around the time of the bombing.
In particular, the report claims the RUC had 11 days' warning from an anonymous caller who warned of an "unspecified" attack on police in the town on August 15.
This information was relayed to Special Branch by the police officer who received the call.
The Ombudsman found that the officer acted appropriately and could not be blamed.
However Special Branch was accused of taking only limited action.
No information was passed on to police in Omagh, a decision the report states was a direct contravention of RUC rules.
Speaking at the press conference, Mrs O'Loan said the bombers may have been deterred if police checkpoints had been set up.
The report also focused on the handling of another warning three days before the bombing from an informer known as 'Kevin Fulton'.
Fulton alerted his handler that terrorists were "about to move something north over the next few days" and identified a dissident republican. No records of the meeting between Fulton and his handler could be found within Special Branch.
The report stated that officers' claims they did not receive the records represented "at the very least, a very serious breakdown in communication".
However, the report stopped short of saying that the Omagh bomb could have been prevented.
Flanagan leadership lambasted in report
'Omagh bombers may never be caught'
By Mary Fitzgerald
THE chances of catching the Omagh bombers were severely compromised by the poor judgment and defective leadership of Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan claimed yesterday.
The scathing criticism was contained in a damning report into the investigation of the Omagh bombing published yesterday.
The much-leaked report outlines the circumstances leading up to the 1998 bombing which left 29 dead and hundreds injured in the worst single atrocity in the history of the Troubles.
The bulk of the controversial report centres on the way the RUC handled the investigation.
Mrs O'Loan said she concluded "with great sadness" that the judgment and leadership of the Chief Constable and the Assistant Chief Constable, Raymond White, had been "seriously flawed" during the bomb investigation.
In her report, she claims the chances of convicting the bombers have been significantly reduced as a result.
"This report is about a failure of leadership," she said. "The victims, their families, the people of Omagh and the officers of the RUC have been let down by defective leadership, poor judgement and a lack of urgency."
She also slated the RUC for being defensive and reluctant to help her.
Mrs O'Loan said she wanted to stress that "the people responsible for the bombing are those who planned and executed it".
The Ombudsman lambasted the role of Special Branch, criticising them for failing to pass on intelligence information warning of threatened dissident republican attacks around the time of the bombing.
In particular, the report claims the RUC had 11 days' warning from an anonymous caller who warned of an "unspecified" attack on police in the town on August 15.
This information was relayed to Special Branch by the police officer who received the call.
The Ombudsman found that the officer acted appropriately and could not be blamed.
However Special Branch was accused of taking only limited action.
No information was passed on to police in Omagh, a decision the report states was a direct contravention of RUC rules.
Speaking at the press conference, Mrs O'Loan said the bombers may have been deterred if police checkpoints had been set up.
The report also focused on the handling of another warning three days before the bombing from an informer known as 'Kevin Fulton'.
Fulton alerted his handler that terrorists were "about to move something north over the next few days" and identified a dissident republican. No records of the meeting between Fulton and his handler could be found within Special Branch.
The report stated that officers' claims they did not receive the records represented "at the very least, a very serious breakdown in communication".
However, the report stopped short of saying that the Omagh bomb could have been prevented.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0803
Published Date: 13-Dec-01
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