DICKSON 'REFUSED OMAGH MEETING'
Dickson 'refused Omagh meeting'
By Deric Henderson
PA News
NORTHERN Ireland Human Rights Commission chief Brice Dickson was refused a meeting with police to discuss their investigation into the Omagh bombing, it was revealed yesterday.
With the British and Irish governments under increasing pressure to agree demands for a full public inquiry into the August 1998 attack, which left 29 people dead including a woman pregnant with twins, outraged victims' relatives hit out at the decision to turn down Professor Dickson's request for talks.
He has already examined a number of files compiled by the families and has also been urged to back their campaign for a full-scale cross-border judicial hearing.
Godfrey Wilson, whose daughter Lorraine (15) was killed in the Real IRA car bombing, said: "The investigation team should be willing to meet with anyone who is looking for justice and who wants to safeguard the rights of innocent victims.
"It's crazy they couldn't bring themselves to see him and we are all very disappointed."
Detectives are to question a Special Branch officer in a bid to trace the source of a anonymous telephone call which warned of a planned attack that was to take place in Omagh on the day of the bombing.
He is likely to be interviewed within the next few weeks.
The call was made on August 4 1998, 11 days before Omagh, but the information claiming that police were going to be attacked was never passed on by Special Branch to uniformed officers on the ground. The source of the call has never been identified.
"It seems to me that a cat and mouse game is being played out and it is taking a terrible toll on people's emotions. It stinks," Mr Wilson said.
Prof Dickson has renewed his request for a meeting with the inquiry team, which is headed by Detective Superintendent Norman Baxter.
Assistant chief constable Sam Kinkaid is overseeing the investigation.
The Dublin-based Irish Human Rights Commission is also likely to be asked to consider giving its support for the public inquiry.
"At the moment, my inclination would be back the Omagh relatives," Prof Dickson said.
"But I need more information and to speak with the police to establish what progress has been made."
Meanwhile, the families are pressing ahead with a High Court civil action against five men who they claim were responsible for the bombing.
The case may go ahead late next year.
By Deric Henderson
PA News
NORTHERN Ireland Human Rights Commission chief Brice Dickson was refused a meeting with police to discuss their investigation into the Omagh bombing, it was revealed yesterday.
With the British and Irish governments under increasing pressure to agree demands for a full public inquiry into the August 1998 attack, which left 29 people dead including a woman pregnant with twins, outraged victims' relatives hit out at the decision to turn down Professor Dickson's request for talks.
He has already examined a number of files compiled by the families and has also been urged to back their campaign for a full-scale cross-border judicial hearing.
Godfrey Wilson, whose daughter Lorraine (15) was killed in the Real IRA car bombing, said: "The investigation team should be willing to meet with anyone who is looking for justice and who wants to safeguard the rights of innocent victims.
"It's crazy they couldn't bring themselves to see him and we are all very disappointed."
Detectives are to question a Special Branch officer in a bid to trace the source of a anonymous telephone call which warned of a planned attack that was to take place in Omagh on the day of the bombing.
He is likely to be interviewed within the next few weeks.
The call was made on August 4 1998, 11 days before Omagh, but the information claiming that police were going to be attacked was never passed on by Special Branch to uniformed officers on the ground. The source of the call has never been identified.
"It seems to me that a cat and mouse game is being played out and it is taking a terrible toll on people's emotions. It stinks," Mr Wilson said.
Prof Dickson has renewed his request for a meeting with the inquiry team, which is headed by Detective Superintendent Norman Baxter.
Assistant chief constable Sam Kinkaid is overseeing the investigation.
The Dublin-based Irish Human Rights Commission is also likely to be asked to consider giving its support for the public inquiry.
"At the moment, my inclination would be back the Omagh relatives," Prof Dickson said.
"But I need more information and to speak with the police to establish what progress has been made."
Meanwhile, the families are pressing ahead with a High Court civil action against five men who they claim were responsible for the bombing.
The case may go ahead late next year.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0717
Published Date: 27-Dec-04
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.