OMAGH RELATIVES INQUIRY THREAT OVER POLICE ROW
Omagh relatives' inquiry threat over police row
RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims last night warned they will demand a full public inquiry if Northern Ireland's Policing Board does not resolve the bitter row engulfing the atrocity.
Several families of those killed in the Real IRA outrage met members of the body set up to scrutinise the Province's police, as the controversy surrounding a damning report into how officers handled the investigation continued.
Policing Board chairman Professor Desmond Rea led a seven-strong delegation to hear relatives' deep concerns following Police
Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's scathing criticism of the police probe and Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan's furious defence.
Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was among the 29 people killed by the renegade republican group's bomb in August 1998, insisted it was now up to the board to sort out the dispute.
He said: "We put questions to the Policing Board today. If they are not answered to our satisfaction, then there's no other way, it has to be a public inquiry."
The three-hour meeting was held in the same Omagh hotel where Sir Ronnie last week talked to victims' families in a bid to reassure them his officers have done everything possible to catch the terrorists.
Mr Skelton said the families would wait until crucial meetings next month before taking such a drastic step.
Earlier, Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among those killed in the bomb, said the issue was the first real challenge for the fledgling police bodies.
"We are not here to try and change policing in this country. But we are being drawn into a bigger political game which we are not part of or we do not want to be part of," he said.
The Policing Board is to meet both Mrs O'Loan and Sir Ronnie on February 5. Two days later it will convene again when the Omagh bomb investigation controversy will top the agenda.
RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims last night warned they will demand a full public inquiry if Northern Ireland's Policing Board does not resolve the bitter row engulfing the atrocity.
Several families of those killed in the Real IRA outrage met members of the body set up to scrutinise the Province's police, as the controversy surrounding a damning report into how officers handled the investigation continued.
Policing Board chairman Professor Desmond Rea led a seven-strong delegation to hear relatives' deep concerns following Police
Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's scathing criticism of the police probe and Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan's furious defence.
Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was among the 29 people killed by the renegade republican group's bomb in August 1998, insisted it was now up to the board to sort out the dispute.
He said: "We put questions to the Policing Board today. If they are not answered to our satisfaction, then there's no other way, it has to be a public inquiry."
The three-hour meeting was held in the same Omagh hotel where Sir Ronnie last week talked to victims' families in a bid to reassure them his officers have done everything possible to catch the terrorists.
Mr Skelton said the families would wait until crucial meetings next month before taking such a drastic step.
Earlier, Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among those killed in the bomb, said the issue was the first real challenge for the fledgling police bodies.
"We are not here to try and change policing in this country. But we are being drawn into a bigger political game which we are not part of or we do not want to be part of," he said.
The Policing Board is to meet both Mrs O'Loan and Sir Ronnie on February 5. Two days later it will convene again when the Omagh bomb investigation controversy will top the agenda.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/427
Published Date: 29-Jan-02
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.