O'LOAN DEFENDS OMAGH CLAIM
O'Loan defends Omagh claim
By Kieran McDaid
POLICE Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan has reiterated her call for an out-side police officer to take charge of the Omagh bomb investigation.
Mrs O'Loan last night strongly defended her report into the police handling of the investigation.
Rejecting stinging criticisms from Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan that the report was full of inaccuracies and unwarranted assumptions, Mrs O'Loan called for rigorous investigative procedures to be put in place for the future.
The ombudsman repeated the findings of her original report, saying it was important that an outside officer take charge of the case to ensure past mistakes are not repeated and a thorough investigation is carried out.
Mrs O'Loan stood by all the recommendations in her original report insisting they were made "in the hope that there would be a rigorous and proper investigation of the Omagh bombing".
She said that there were "clear disagreements on fundamental matters of fact" between the content of her recent report and the chief constable's response.
However, she said the bereaved families of the bomb victims were the most important people and that "further public disagreement between the police service and my office should be avoided".
"I acknowledged in my report, and I do so again, that the bombing was a massive atrocity and the responsibility of the RUC/PSNI was awesome," she said.
"In so many ways they deserve credit for much of what they have done."
But she added: "It would not have been right of me to minimise or be deflected from making criticism of the failures and deficiencies which we found over the past months, many of which were clearly identified by their own internal review."
Mrs O'Loan said that the families of the victims and the policing board should be given time to consider all the issues.
"It is important that past is not repeated and that everything possible is done to catch those behind this terrible atrocity," she said.
Although she said she did not intend to engage in further public comment, Mrs O'Loan insisted she would "answer any questions which the policing board may have".
"These recommendation are about change, change now and for the future, in the belief that there will be the best possible policing service for the whole community," she added.
By Kieran McDaid
POLICE Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan has reiterated her call for an out-side police officer to take charge of the Omagh bomb investigation.
Mrs O'Loan last night strongly defended her report into the police handling of the investigation.
Rejecting stinging criticisms from Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan that the report was full of inaccuracies and unwarranted assumptions, Mrs O'Loan called for rigorous investigative procedures to be put in place for the future.
The ombudsman repeated the findings of her original report, saying it was important that an outside officer take charge of the case to ensure past mistakes are not repeated and a thorough investigation is carried out.
Mrs O'Loan stood by all the recommendations in her original report insisting they were made "in the hope that there would be a rigorous and proper investigation of the Omagh bombing".
She said that there were "clear disagreements on fundamental matters of fact" between the content of her recent report and the chief constable's response.
However, she said the bereaved families of the bomb victims were the most important people and that "further public disagreement between the police service and my office should be avoided".
"I acknowledged in my report, and I do so again, that the bombing was a massive atrocity and the responsibility of the RUC/PSNI was awesome," she said.
"In so many ways they deserve credit for much of what they have done."
But she added: "It would not have been right of me to minimise or be deflected from making criticism of the failures and deficiencies which we found over the past months, many of which were clearly identified by their own internal review."
Mrs O'Loan said that the families of the victims and the policing board should be given time to consider all the issues.
"It is important that past is not repeated and that everything possible is done to catch those behind this terrible atrocity," she said.
Although she said she did not intend to engage in further public comment, Mrs O'Loan insisted she would "answer any questions which the policing board may have".
"These recommendation are about change, change now and for the future, in the belief that there will be the best possible policing service for the whole community," she added.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0525
Published Date: 25-Jan-02
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