OMAGH FAMILIES TO PUSH FOR FULL ENQUIRY
Omagh families to push for full inquiry
BY MARY LAFFERTY
m.lafferty@newsletter.co.uk
THE Omagh Families group are to meet with the head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Monica McWilliams today to urge her backing for a full cross-border judicial inquiry.
The meeting follows on from a meeting in Dublin yesterday with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy in which the families sought his support.
They have also requested a meeting with the head of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Butler, in a bid to obtain details of the intelligence's role in exposing Michael McKevitt, leader of the Real IRA, which carried out the Omagh Bomb atrocity.
Chairman of the Omagh Families group Michael Gallagher said it was important to find out from MI5 the evidence gathered on McKevitt.
"Many of the court documents confirm that MI5 played a role, no matter how peripheral, in the investigation.
"We already know that FBI agent David Rupert, an American and a key witness in the 2003 Dublin trail in which McKevitt was convicted of directing terrorism at the time of the bomb. He was one of their agents and worked alongside the dissident republican terror organisation. It is important that we find out what they know."
Rupert is likely to be called as a witness when a High Court civil action is heard against the five men they claim were responsible for the attack which left 29 people dead, among them two unborn children.
However, the case will not go ahead until after the trial, expected in Belfast later this year, of Sean Hoey of Molly Road, Jonesborough, south Armagh, who has been accused of the murders.
Last month McKevitt, leader of the Real IRA and the only person convicted so far for his part in the atrocity failed in his appeal to have his conviction overturned after being sentenced to 20 years.
BY MARY LAFFERTY
m.lafferty@newsletter.co.uk
THE Omagh Families group are to meet with the head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Monica McWilliams today to urge her backing for a full cross-border judicial inquiry.
The meeting follows on from a meeting in Dublin yesterday with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy in which the families sought his support.
They have also requested a meeting with the head of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Butler, in a bid to obtain details of the intelligence's role in exposing Michael McKevitt, leader of the Real IRA, which carried out the Omagh Bomb atrocity.
Chairman of the Omagh Families group Michael Gallagher said it was important to find out from MI5 the evidence gathered on McKevitt.
"Many of the court documents confirm that MI5 played a role, no matter how peripheral, in the investigation.
"We already know that FBI agent David Rupert, an American and a key witness in the 2003 Dublin trail in which McKevitt was convicted of directing terrorism at the time of the bomb. He was one of their agents and worked alongside the dissident republican terror organisation. It is important that we find out what they know."
Rupert is likely to be called as a witness when a High Court civil action is heard against the five men they claim were responsible for the attack which left 29 people dead, among them two unborn children.
However, the case will not go ahead until after the trial, expected in Belfast later this year, of Sean Hoey of Molly Road, Jonesborough, south Armagh, who has been accused of the murders.
Last month McKevitt, leader of the Real IRA and the only person convicted so far for his part in the atrocity failed in his appeal to have his conviction overturned after being sentenced to 20 years.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/638
Published Date: 20-Jan-06
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.