CROSS-BORDER INQUIRY INTO OMAGH BOMBING POSSIBLE
Cross-border inquiry into Omagh bombing 'possible'
Andrea McKernon
newsdesk@irishnews.com
A CROSS-BORDER inquiry into the Omagh bombing could take place, Secretary of State Owen Paterson said yesterday. Mr Paterson has said he is considering a request for a joint north/south official investigation. Last month the Omagh families presented Mr Paterson with a report that they said contained fresh evidence.
The families said they had evidence that authorities on both sides of the border could have prevented the bombing.
Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed in the 1998 Real IRA bombing of the Co Tyrone town. Mr Paterson has repeated the British government's policy that there should be no more open-ended inquiries.
However, he said he was not yet ready to give his formal response to the Omagh families.
Mr Paterson told the BBC that those behind the bombing needed to be tried, convicted and jailed.
He said he needed to discuss the report with a number of people including Chief Constable Matt Baggott.
"I will consider it very carefully," Mr Paterson said.
When the report was presented last month, Michael Gallagher -spokesman for the Omagh relatives and survivors - said Mr Paterson had indicated he would share the information with the PSNI and the justice minister David Ford.
Mr Gallagher said the families were not optimistic that a public inquiry would be granted. He said that if the secretary of state refused to authorise one, the families would seek to overturn the decision with legal action.
Andrea McKernon
newsdesk@irishnews.com
A CROSS-BORDER inquiry into the Omagh bombing could take place, Secretary of State Owen Paterson said yesterday. Mr Paterson has said he is considering a request for a joint north/south official investigation. Last month the Omagh families presented Mr Paterson with a report that they said contained fresh evidence.
The families said they had evidence that authorities on both sides of the border could have prevented the bombing.
Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed in the 1998 Real IRA bombing of the Co Tyrone town. Mr Paterson has repeated the British government's policy that there should be no more open-ended inquiries.
However, he said he was not yet ready to give his formal response to the Omagh families.
Mr Paterson told the BBC that those behind the bombing needed to be tried, convicted and jailed.
He said he needed to discuss the report with a number of people including Chief Constable Matt Baggott.
"I will consider it very carefully," Mr Paterson said.
When the report was presented last month, Michael Gallagher -spokesman for the Omagh relatives and survivors - said Mr Paterson had indicated he would share the information with the PSNI and the justice minister David Ford.
Mr Gallagher said the families were not optimistic that a public inquiry would be granted. He said that if the secretary of state refused to authorise one, the families would seek to overturn the decision with legal action.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/1070
Published Date: 02-Jul-12
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