OMAGH: PRESSURE ON DUBLIN MOUNTS
OMAGH: PRESSURE ON DUBLIN MOUNTS
By SUNDAY LIFE REPORTER
THE Irish Justice Minister will come under pressure this week to hand over transcripts from the Michael McKevitt trial.
Lawyers, acting for families of Omagh bomb victims, will meet Justice Minister Michael McDowell, on Tuesday, to ask for copies of transcripts from the recent trial of the convicted Real IRA leader.
The lawyers, who are representing the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, will also request transcripts of the trial of Dundalk man, Colm Murphy.
He is the only person to have been convicted in relation to the 1998 Omagh bomb.
The families believe these transcripts will help strengthen their civil action case against Omagh bomb suspects.
The lawyers will also ask Mr McDowell to provide them with a current update on the state of co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI bomb investigation teams.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden died in the bomb blast, said his organisation had first requested a meeting with the Irish Justice Minister last year.
Mr Gallagher said a number of the Omagh victims, involved in the civil action, had also been seeking a meeting with Mr McDowell on Tuesday.
"We had asked the minister to meet us either before, or after the meeting with the lawyers," said Mr Gallagher.
"A senior official from the Irish Justice Department contacted me, last Friday, to say the minister was unable to facilitate us next Tuesday.
"However, he has agreed to meet us in Dublin next Monday."
Mr Gallagher said the apparent reluctance of Irish government ministers to meet the victims families, had fuelled suspicions that the Republic's authorities were intent on avoiding the whole issue of the atrocity.
"Omagh was a cross-border crime," said Mr Gallagher.
"So both governments have to play their part in the inquiry.
"There have been six separate investigations into Omagh, in five years, and not one person has ever been charged with murder."
A spokesman for the Irish Justice Department confirmed the Justice Minister would be meeting with Omagh lawyers, in Dublin, on Tuesday.
By SUNDAY LIFE REPORTER
THE Irish Justice Minister will come under pressure this week to hand over transcripts from the Michael McKevitt trial.
Lawyers, acting for families of Omagh bomb victims, will meet Justice Minister Michael McDowell, on Tuesday, to ask for copies of transcripts from the recent trial of the convicted Real IRA leader.
The lawyers, who are representing the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, will also request transcripts of the trial of Dundalk man, Colm Murphy.
He is the only person to have been convicted in relation to the 1998 Omagh bomb.
The families believe these transcripts will help strengthen their civil action case against Omagh bomb suspects.
The lawyers will also ask Mr McDowell to provide them with a current update on the state of co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI bomb investigation teams.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden died in the bomb blast, said his organisation had first requested a meeting with the Irish Justice Minister last year.
Mr Gallagher said a number of the Omagh victims, involved in the civil action, had also been seeking a meeting with Mr McDowell on Tuesday.
"We had asked the minister to meet us either before, or after the meeting with the lawyers," said Mr Gallagher.
"A senior official from the Irish Justice Department contacted me, last Friday, to say the minister was unable to facilitate us next Tuesday.
"However, he has agreed to meet us in Dublin next Monday."
Mr Gallagher said the apparent reluctance of Irish government ministers to meet the victims families, had fuelled suspicions that the Republic's authorities were intent on avoiding the whole issue of the atrocity.
"Omagh was a cross-border crime," said Mr Gallagher.
"So both governments have to play their part in the inquiry.
"There have been six separate investigations into Omagh, in five years, and not one person has ever been charged with murder."
A spokesman for the Irish Justice Department confirmed the Justice Minister would be meeting with Omagh lawyers, in Dublin, on Tuesday.
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/157
Published Date: 31-Aug-03
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