OMAGH EVIDENCE TO BE RE-EXAMINED
Omagh evidence to be re-examined
North's policing board to establish team of independent experts to review past police inquiries
DAN KEENAN, NORTHERN NEWS EDITOR
A team of independent experts is to be appointed to re-examine evidence from the Omagh bombing in an attempt to bring those responsible to justice.
The Northern Ireland Policing Board has decided to set up an independent external overview of past investigations into the 1998 bombing, in which 29 people were killed.
Policing Board member Jeffrey Donaldson said the independent overview would look afresh at the Omagh case.
"The objective is to re-focus on the evidence and bring the focus back again on the need to secure a prosecution," said the DUP MP.
The board voted unanimously to appoint the overview team after a five-hour meeting in Belfast.
The move came as PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde admitted to the policing board that two officers identified by the judge in the Omagh bombing trial last month as having lied to the court are still on duty. Sir Hugh defended the decision to retain the constable and the chief inspector on duty, claiming he had not been advised to do otherwise by the police ombudsman or any other authority.
Speaking after a lengthy meeting with the Policing Board, which holds the chief constable and the PSNI to account, Sir Hugh said: "I am not, and have never, ever, second-guessed a police ombudsman investigation. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is independent. They form a view and then report and I act on those reports.
"The public know me well enough to know I've accepted every single recommendation without exception from Nuala O'Loan and I have no intention of doing anything different with [new ombudsman] Al Hutchinson."
Files relating to the two officers are now with the Public Prosecution Service for consideration, where they have been for six months, it emerged yesterday.
The chief constable has made clear he will not act on their case until its director has decided on the next move or the police ombudsman issues his report.
The meeting was called by Policing Board members to discuss with the chief constable the fallout from the release of Sean Hoey and his acquittal on 56 terrorist charges relating to the Real IRA bombing of Omagh and other serious incidents in 1998.
Mr Justice Weir's findings and, in particular, his scathing comments about aspects of the handling of the investigation and of vital forensic evidence continue to cause waves.
Relatives of the 29 dead in the Omagh bombing complained yesterday of feeling marginalised. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the bombing, said that he felt relatives' concerns were peripheral. He said the Policing Board had not consulted relatives since the verdict.
"It looks like the families here are incidental," he said.
Unionist members, and Mr Donaldson in particular, warned against a "witch hunt" against Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the chief constable of the RUC which carried out the initial Omagh investigation that was subsequently criticised by Ms O'Loan.
Nationalist members, particularly from Sinn Fein, continued to stress the need for the issues arising out of the police handling of the case to be sorted out once and for all.
Current chief constable Sir Hugh defended the current PSNI investigation into the bombing. "I've made it clear from the word go that we were dealing with exhibits that were not good," he said.
Sir Hugh said the PSNI had taken the case to the Public Prosecution Service. "They agreed. We took it to a preliminary hearing in front of a magistrate. The learned magistrate felt there was a case to answer. It then went to the crown court; the learned judge thought there was a case to answer and dismissed applications by the defence team to throw the case out." (additional reporting fry PA)
North's policing board to establish team of independent experts to review past police inquiries
DAN KEENAN, NORTHERN NEWS EDITOR
A team of independent experts is to be appointed to re-examine evidence from the Omagh bombing in an attempt to bring those responsible to justice.
The Northern Ireland Policing Board has decided to set up an independent external overview of past investigations into the 1998 bombing, in which 29 people were killed.
Policing Board member Jeffrey Donaldson said the independent overview would look afresh at the Omagh case.
"The objective is to re-focus on the evidence and bring the focus back again on the need to secure a prosecution," said the DUP MP.
The board voted unanimously to appoint the overview team after a five-hour meeting in Belfast.
The move came as PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde admitted to the policing board that two officers identified by the judge in the Omagh bombing trial last month as having lied to the court are still on duty. Sir Hugh defended the decision to retain the constable and the chief inspector on duty, claiming he had not been advised to do otherwise by the police ombudsman or any other authority.
Speaking after a lengthy meeting with the Policing Board, which holds the chief constable and the PSNI to account, Sir Hugh said: "I am not, and have never, ever, second-guessed a police ombudsman investigation. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is independent. They form a view and then report and I act on those reports.
"The public know me well enough to know I've accepted every single recommendation without exception from Nuala O'Loan and I have no intention of doing anything different with [new ombudsman] Al Hutchinson."
Files relating to the two officers are now with the Public Prosecution Service for consideration, where they have been for six months, it emerged yesterday.
The chief constable has made clear he will not act on their case until its director has decided on the next move or the police ombudsman issues his report.
The meeting was called by Policing Board members to discuss with the chief constable the fallout from the release of Sean Hoey and his acquittal on 56 terrorist charges relating to the Real IRA bombing of Omagh and other serious incidents in 1998.
Mr Justice Weir's findings and, in particular, his scathing comments about aspects of the handling of the investigation and of vital forensic evidence continue to cause waves.
Relatives of the 29 dead in the Omagh bombing complained yesterday of feeling marginalised. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the bombing, said that he felt relatives' concerns were peripheral. He said the Policing Board had not consulted relatives since the verdict.
"It looks like the families here are incidental," he said.
Unionist members, and Mr Donaldson in particular, warned against a "witch hunt" against Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the chief constable of the RUC which carried out the initial Omagh investigation that was subsequently criticised by Ms O'Loan.
Nationalist members, particularly from Sinn Fein, continued to stress the need for the issues arising out of the police handling of the case to be sorted out once and for all.
Current chief constable Sir Hugh defended the current PSNI investigation into the bombing. "I've made it clear from the word go that we were dealing with exhibits that were not good," he said.
Sir Hugh said the PSNI had taken the case to the Public Prosecution Service. "They agreed. We took it to a preliminary hearing in front of a magistrate. The learned magistrate felt there was a case to answer. It then went to the crown court; the learned judge thought there was a case to answer and dismissed applications by the defence team to throw the case out." (additional reporting fry PA)
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH TIMES
Ref: IT/464
Published Date: 04-Jan-08
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