REFUSAL BY SINN FEIN FOR SUPPORT
Refusal by Sinn Fein for support
By Maeve Connolly
Sinn Fein last night refused to encourage peopel with information on the Omagh bomb to contact the police or Gardai.
Citing a lack of confidence in the police a Sinn Fein spokesman said it was not up to the party to ask people to provide information.
"Sinn Fein can't demand that people go and give information . Sinn Fein haven't told anyone not to," the spokesman said.
"Clearly it's an indication that people don't have confidence the policing structures and don't have confidence Special Branch," he added.
He said that Sinn Fein's task was to create policing structures people could trust.
SDLP assembly member for West Tyrone Joe Byrne said Sinn Fein had a duty to encourage people to support the bomb investigation under way on both sides of the border.
Mr Byrne, a member of the 19 member Policing Board, added that it was the duty of all political parties to support the policing service and its investigations.
"I would say given that th Omagh bomb did involve cross border terrorist cooperation that nationalists should at least be able to cooperate with th Garda authority in their investigation," Mr Byrne said.
"Obviously if we are going to move forward in this society we have to build a culture of wanting to solve crimes, particularly serious crimes.
"Sinn Fein should be more positive towards policing and advising people to support the investigations, north and south into the Omagh bomb," he added.
On UTV's Insight programme on Thursday night Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was killed in the 1998 Real IRAattack, challenged Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty.
Mr Skelton asked Mr Doherty why he had never asked people to give evidence to Gardai, in light of the chief constable's assertion that members of the Real IRA gang responsible for the bomb attack were based in the Republic. But Mr Doherty insisted he had no confidence in the police working with the gardai.
By Maeve Connolly
Sinn Fein last night refused to encourage peopel with information on the Omagh bomb to contact the police or Gardai.
Citing a lack of confidence in the police a Sinn Fein spokesman said it was not up to the party to ask people to provide information.
"Sinn Fein can't demand that people go and give information . Sinn Fein haven't told anyone not to," the spokesman said.
"Clearly it's an indication that people don't have confidence the policing structures and don't have confidence Special Branch," he added.
He said that Sinn Fein's task was to create policing structures people could trust.
SDLP assembly member for West Tyrone Joe Byrne said Sinn Fein had a duty to encourage people to support the bomb investigation under way on both sides of the border.
Mr Byrne, a member of the 19 member Policing Board, added that it was the duty of all political parties to support the policing service and its investigations.
"I would say given that th Omagh bomb did involve cross border terrorist cooperation that nationalists should at least be able to cooperate with th Garda authority in their investigation," Mr Byrne said.
"Obviously if we are going to move forward in this society we have to build a culture of wanting to solve crimes, particularly serious crimes.
"Sinn Fein should be more positive towards policing and advising people to support the investigations, north and south into the Omagh bomb," he added.
On UTV's Insight programme on Thursday night Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was killed in the 1998 Real IRAattack, challenged Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty.
Mr Skelton asked Mr Doherty why he had never asked people to give evidence to Gardai, in light of the chief constable's assertion that members of the Real IRA gang responsible for the bomb attack were based in the Republic. But Mr Doherty insisted he had no confidence in the police working with the gardai.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0541
Published Date: 26-Jan-02
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