PRESSURE GROWS ON FLANAGAN TO RESIGN
Pressure grows on Flanagan to resign
By Barry McCaffrey
BRITAIN'S home secretary Jacqui Smith was yesterday forced to publicly defend Sir Ronnie Flanagan amid growing calls for him to resign over his leadership during the Omagh bombing investigation.
The former RUC and PSNI chief constable was publicly criticised on Thursday by some of the families of those killed in the 1998 Real IRA bombing after the acquittal of Sean Hoey of their murders.
Victor Barker, whose 12-year-old son James was killed in the no-warning bomb, publicly called for Sir Ronnie's removal as head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
Recalling his staunch defence of the original Omagh inquiry while he was chief constable, Mr Barker said: "He said he would fall on his sword if anything was found to be wrong with his investigation.
"Well I'll give him the sword because as far as I am concerned it's the appalling inefficiency of Sir Ronnie Flanagan and the initial investigation that has meant that Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter has not been able to secure a conviction."
Hours later home secretary Jacqui Smith issued a single-line statement insisting she had "full confidence" in Sir Ronnie's position as head of HMIC.
So far the former chief constable has refused to make any public comment on the criticism of his leadership during the Omagh bomb inquiry.
It's not the first time there have been calls for Sir Ronnie to resign.In January Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan found that officers under Sir Ronnie's command had protected UVF informer Mark Haddock from prosecution, despite him being implicated in up to 16 murders.
While Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde "wholeheartedly" apologised for wrongdoing by his officers, Sir Ronnie refused to accept any criticism.
"I utterly refute any suggestion, as has been misrepresented in some of the media coverage, that I was in any way evasive or unhelpful," he said at the time.
"On the contrary, at no time during the investigation or since did any member of the ombudsman's staff express to me any reservations about my personal action or conduct in any post that I held."
In December 2001 Mrs O'Loan concluded that Sir Ronnie's judgment and leadership during the Omagh bomb inquiry had been "seriously flawed" and that as a result the chances of catching the bombers had been "significantly reduced".
"The victims, their families, the people of Omagh and officers of the RUC were let down by defective leadership, poor judgement and a lack of urgency," she said.
Sir Ronnie responded that he would "publicly commit suicide" if Mrs O'Loan's report was correct.
When Sir Ronnie was appointed to lead HMIC in 2005, then home secretary Charles Clarke praised the former chief constable, saying: "Sir Ronnie has a proven record of operational and managerial achievement at the highest levels of the police service."
By Barry McCaffrey
BRITAIN'S home secretary Jacqui Smith was yesterday forced to publicly defend Sir Ronnie Flanagan amid growing calls for him to resign over his leadership during the Omagh bombing investigation.
The former RUC and PSNI chief constable was publicly criticised on Thursday by some of the families of those killed in the 1998 Real IRA bombing after the acquittal of Sean Hoey of their murders.
Victor Barker, whose 12-year-old son James was killed in the no-warning bomb, publicly called for Sir Ronnie's removal as head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
Recalling his staunch defence of the original Omagh inquiry while he was chief constable, Mr Barker said: "He said he would fall on his sword if anything was found to be wrong with his investigation.
"Well I'll give him the sword because as far as I am concerned it's the appalling inefficiency of Sir Ronnie Flanagan and the initial investigation that has meant that Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter has not been able to secure a conviction."
Hours later home secretary Jacqui Smith issued a single-line statement insisting she had "full confidence" in Sir Ronnie's position as head of HMIC.
So far the former chief constable has refused to make any public comment on the criticism of his leadership during the Omagh bomb inquiry.
It's not the first time there have been calls for Sir Ronnie to resign.In January Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan found that officers under Sir Ronnie's command had protected UVF informer Mark Haddock from prosecution, despite him being implicated in up to 16 murders.
While Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde "wholeheartedly" apologised for wrongdoing by his officers, Sir Ronnie refused to accept any criticism.
"I utterly refute any suggestion, as has been misrepresented in some of the media coverage, that I was in any way evasive or unhelpful," he said at the time.
"On the contrary, at no time during the investigation or since did any member of the ombudsman's staff express to me any reservations about my personal action or conduct in any post that I held."
In December 2001 Mrs O'Loan concluded that Sir Ronnie's judgment and leadership during the Omagh bomb inquiry had been "seriously flawed" and that as a result the chances of catching the bombers had been "significantly reduced".
"The victims, their families, the people of Omagh and officers of the RUC were let down by defective leadership, poor judgement and a lack of urgency," she said.
Sir Ronnie responded that he would "publicly commit suicide" if Mrs O'Loan's report was correct.
When Sir Ronnie was appointed to lead HMIC in 2005, then home secretary Charles Clarke praised the former chief constable, saying: "Sir Ronnie has a proven record of operational and managerial achievement at the highest levels of the police service."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0874
Published Date: 22-Dec-07
Related Images
