OMAGH FAMILIES DEMAND INQUIRY
Omagh families demand inquiry
FAMILIES of Omagh bomb victims made a fresh demand to the British government yesterday to establish a cross-border public inquiry into the 1998 atrocity. They made their call during a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Secretary of State Paul Murphy but said they received no commitments. Michael Gallagher - whose son Aidan was among the 29 victims, including a woman pregnant with twins - said such an inquiry was long overdue. "The secretary of state said that until the criminal investigation is completed, there could be no decision made on that," he said. "We find that a bit difficult to swallow given that we have been waiting six-and-a-half years."
He claimed Mr Murphy ducked a number of issues the families had raised, saying he could not comment because of the ongoing police investigation. These included questions about why it has taken more than six years for a Special Branch officer to be interviewed in a bid to trace the source of an anonymous phone call which warned of an attack on police to take place in Omagh on the day of the bombing.
It was revealed recently that the officer is to be interviewed about the call made on August 4 1998, 11 days before the atrocity, whose information was not relayed to police on the ground. Mr Gallagher said one commitment Mr Murphy did make was to help the families in a long-running bid to get a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The families said Mr Murphy also indicated he would consider an application for extra government land to extend the Omagh victims' memorial garden in the centre of the Co Tyrone town.
FAMILIES of Omagh bomb victims made a fresh demand to the British government yesterday to establish a cross-border public inquiry into the 1998 atrocity. They made their call during a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Secretary of State Paul Murphy but said they received no commitments. Michael Gallagher - whose son Aidan was among the 29 victims, including a woman pregnant with twins - said such an inquiry was long overdue. "The secretary of state said that until the criminal investigation is completed, there could be no decision made on that," he said. "We find that a bit difficult to swallow given that we have been waiting six-and-a-half years."
He claimed Mr Murphy ducked a number of issues the families had raised, saying he could not comment because of the ongoing police investigation. These included questions about why it has taken more than six years for a Special Branch officer to be interviewed in a bid to trace the source of an anonymous phone call which warned of an attack on police to take place in Omagh on the day of the bombing.
It was revealed recently that the officer is to be interviewed about the call made on August 4 1998, 11 days before the atrocity, whose information was not relayed to police on the ground. Mr Gallagher said one commitment Mr Murphy did make was to help the families in a long-running bid to get a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The families said Mr Murphy also indicated he would consider an application for extra government land to extend the Omagh victims' memorial garden in the centre of the Co Tyrone town.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0720
Published Date: 11-Jan-05
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