OMAGH EVIDENCE TO BE RE-EXAMINED AFTER CASE SUCCESS
Omagh evidence to be re-examined after case success
By Maeve Connolly and PA
EVIDENCE in the Omagh bomb case is being re-examined by police to find out if a man cleared of the 1998 atrocity can be retried.
Sean Hoey was acquitted of involvement in the Real IRA bomb which killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins and several other bombings which took place around that time.
Police came under criticism from the judge during the south Armagh man's trial and in particular two scene-of-crime officers who he accused of misleading the court.
However, a police ombudsman investigation later cleared them of any wrongdoing and at the monthly meeting of the Policing Board yesterday Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris said the evidence was being re-examined in light of this.
"After the ombudsman reports of February this year we have revisited all of the evidence again, not only in respect of the Omagh bombing but other bombing attacks around that time involving the Real IRA," he said, before striking a note of caution.
"Working through that what we are looking for is new evidential opportunities; realistically we have to find substantial new evidence if there is any possibility of a criminal prosecution."
The PPS last night confirmed it is examining the successful civil case taken by the Omagh families.
"The Director (of Public Prosecutions) has asked senior prosecutors to review the judgement of (case judge) Mr Justice Morgan and consult with police to see whether further evidence might be available to them," a PPS spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, police have said more arrests are to be expected in the Kevin McDaid sectarian murder investigation as "further suspects" have been identified.
To date 17 people have been arrested and 10 of them charged with offences relating to the 49-year-old Catholic's murder and the attempted murder of Damian Fleming by a loyalist mob.
Since the May 24 incident in Coleraine 23 witnesses have been interviewed and 27 searches carried out with approximately 2,000 items seized for forensic examination, police said.
The case has been referred to the police ombudsman and Sinn Fein and SDLP board members questioned police about their strategy of "negotiating" with loyalists who had threatened violence in the hours beforehand.
It is understood community officers were told by loyalists celebrating Rangers' Scottish league victory they would tolerate the flying of Irish tricolours in a nationalist estate if they were removed the following morning.
Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey asked why police were not prepared to "take preventative measures" such as erecting screens to protect the threatened community from loyalists who had been "drinking all day in a pub" and had threatened to go into an area "two miles away" and remove flags.
Outgoing chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said he could not comment in detail due to court proceedings and the ombudsman's investigation but defended the force's policy of resolving community tensions through dialogue.
Community officers believed their involvement had led to a "cooling down" of the situation, he said, adding that the PSNI would "speak to anyone and everyone if we can resolve things... because the alternative is far more worrying".
Officers feel "hugely damaged" by a newspaper allegation that an officer or officers had sent a text message inciting loyalists to violence and "want to be vindicated", he said.
By Maeve Connolly and PA
EVIDENCE in the Omagh bomb case is being re-examined by police to find out if a man cleared of the 1998 atrocity can be retried.
Sean Hoey was acquitted of involvement in the Real IRA bomb which killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins and several other bombings which took place around that time.
Police came under criticism from the judge during the south Armagh man's trial and in particular two scene-of-crime officers who he accused of misleading the court.
However, a police ombudsman investigation later cleared them of any wrongdoing and at the monthly meeting of the Policing Board yesterday Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris said the evidence was being re-examined in light of this.
"After the ombudsman reports of February this year we have revisited all of the evidence again, not only in respect of the Omagh bombing but other bombing attacks around that time involving the Real IRA," he said, before striking a note of caution.
"Working through that what we are looking for is new evidential opportunities; realistically we have to find substantial new evidence if there is any possibility of a criminal prosecution."
The PPS last night confirmed it is examining the successful civil case taken by the Omagh families.
"The Director (of Public Prosecutions) has asked senior prosecutors to review the judgement of (case judge) Mr Justice Morgan and consult with police to see whether further evidence might be available to them," a PPS spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, police have said more arrests are to be expected in the Kevin McDaid sectarian murder investigation as "further suspects" have been identified.
To date 17 people have been arrested and 10 of them charged with offences relating to the 49-year-old Catholic's murder and the attempted murder of Damian Fleming by a loyalist mob.
Since the May 24 incident in Coleraine 23 witnesses have been interviewed and 27 searches carried out with approximately 2,000 items seized for forensic examination, police said.
The case has been referred to the police ombudsman and Sinn Fein and SDLP board members questioned police about their strategy of "negotiating" with loyalists who had threatened violence in the hours beforehand.
It is understood community officers were told by loyalists celebrating Rangers' Scottish league victory they would tolerate the flying of Irish tricolours in a nationalist estate if they were removed the following morning.
Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey asked why police were not prepared to "take preventative measures" such as erecting screens to protect the threatened community from loyalists who had been "drinking all day in a pub" and had threatened to go into an area "two miles away" and remove flags.
Outgoing chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said he could not comment in detail due to court proceedings and the ombudsman's investigation but defended the force's policy of resolving community tensions through dialogue.
Community officers believed their involvement had led to a "cooling down" of the situation, he said, adding that the PSNI would "speak to anyone and everyone if we can resolve things... because the alternative is far more worrying".
Officers feel "hugely damaged" by a newspaper allegation that an officer or officers had sent a text message inciting loyalists to violence and "want to be vindicated", he said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/1005
Published Date: 12-Jun-09
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