DELAY IN BLAST INTELLIGENCE
Delay in blast intelligence'
BY MICHAEL McHUGH
newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk
POLICE Special Branch in Northern Ireland were aware of intelligence information on the Omagh bomb soon after the atrocity, the former ombudsman claimed yesterday.
But information was not immediately passed on to investigating officers who spent months combing mobile phone records in the hunt for the Real IRA bombers, ex-police complaints head Nuala O'Loan added.
The perpetrators are believed to have used phones to communicate on their way to Omagh with the device.
Dame Nuala gave evidence to a committee of MPs at Westminster.
"I am satisfied that material was passed to Special Branch," she said.
She talked about the reaction of secret service monitors.
"It triggered, and I am speculating, that the security services would be alarmed and distressed by the explosion and would immediately decide to search to see if they had anything which would be relevant, anything that had come in the past hour or so."
Ms O'Loan told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee investigation opportunities could have been availed of.
She said there was a five-month delay in some cases as detectives combed through all the phone records in the area.
BY MICHAEL McHUGH
newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk
POLICE Special Branch in Northern Ireland were aware of intelligence information on the Omagh bomb soon after the atrocity, the former ombudsman claimed yesterday.
But information was not immediately passed on to investigating officers who spent months combing mobile phone records in the hunt for the Real IRA bombers, ex-police complaints head Nuala O'Loan added.
The perpetrators are believed to have used phones to communicate on their way to Omagh with the device.
Dame Nuala gave evidence to a committee of MPs at Westminster.
"I am satisfied that material was passed to Special Branch," she said.
She talked about the reaction of secret service monitors.
"It triggered, and I am speculating, that the security services would be alarmed and distressed by the explosion and would immediately decide to search to see if they had anything which would be relevant, anything that had come in the past hour or so."
Ms O'Loan told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee investigation opportunities could have been availed of.
She said there was a five-month delay in some cases as detectives combed through all the phone records in the area.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/801
Published Date: 09-Jul-09
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