NEVER AGAIN SIR KEN
NEVER AGAIN, SIR KEN...
By ALAN MURRAY
Omagh dad calls for end to legal aid for terrorists
THE father of a victim of the Omagh bombing has asked for assurances that public money will never again be given to convicted terrorists defending civil actions brought against them.
Michael Gallagher made his plea to Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, head of the Legal Aid Commission, to assure the public that the commission will prevent any further exploitation of the system by terrorists.
Sir Kenneth last week declined to comment on the row over the awarding of special status legal aid to convicted Real IRA men Liam Campbell and Michael McKevitt, who are being investigated by the Republic's Criminal Assets Bureau.
Sir Kenneth - who is also the Commissioner for the Location of Victims Remains - declined to discuss the terrorists' cases.
He would only say: "I will not discuss any cases."
Sir Kenneth met Mr Gallagher in Omagh in 2001, when he chaired a meeting with then RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan.
Mr Gallagher claimed Sir Kenneth had to decide whether victims' rights were more important than those of terrorists.
He said: "As a former Commissioner for Victims, he is aware of our pain.
"We now need to know that he won't countenance crazy decisions like those taken in the Campbell and McKevitt cases being made again.
"Ordinary taxpayers can't get this aid. Who decided to give it to two convicted terrorists? "It's amazing."
Sunday Life twice e-mailed the commission's new chief executive, Gerry Crossan, last week, asking about the Campbell and McKevitt cases, but without reply.
North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, who tabled a parliamentary question on the issue, has also been unsuccessful.
In a parliamentary answer, David Lammy, an under secretary of state in the Department of Constitutional Affairs, said that they Law Society was prohibited from giving information under the Legal Aid Order.
Said Mr Dodds: "It's quite astounding that the Secretary of State, MPs and the public, of course, can be kept in the dark about convicted terrorists being given legal aid to fight civil cases, when police in another jurisdiction suspect they have salted away many tens of thousands - even hundreds of thousands - of pounds.
By ALAN MURRAY
Omagh dad calls for end to legal aid for terrorists
THE father of a victim of the Omagh bombing has asked for assurances that public money will never again be given to convicted terrorists defending civil actions brought against them.
Michael Gallagher made his plea to Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, head of the Legal Aid Commission, to assure the public that the commission will prevent any further exploitation of the system by terrorists.
Sir Kenneth last week declined to comment on the row over the awarding of special status legal aid to convicted Real IRA men Liam Campbell and Michael McKevitt, who are being investigated by the Republic's Criminal Assets Bureau.
Sir Kenneth - who is also the Commissioner for the Location of Victims Remains - declined to discuss the terrorists' cases.
He would only say: "I will not discuss any cases."
Sir Kenneth met Mr Gallagher in Omagh in 2001, when he chaired a meeting with then RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan.
Mr Gallagher claimed Sir Kenneth had to decide whether victims' rights were more important than those of terrorists.
He said: "As a former Commissioner for Victims, he is aware of our pain.
"We now need to know that he won't countenance crazy decisions like those taken in the Campbell and McKevitt cases being made again.
"Ordinary taxpayers can't get this aid. Who decided to give it to two convicted terrorists? "It's amazing."
Sunday Life twice e-mailed the commission's new chief executive, Gerry Crossan, last week, asking about the Campbell and McKevitt cases, but without reply.
North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, who tabled a parliamentary question on the issue, has also been unsuccessful.
In a parliamentary answer, David Lammy, an under secretary of state in the Department of Constitutional Affairs, said that they Law Society was prohibited from giving information under the Legal Aid Order.
Said Mr Dodds: "It's quite astounding that the Secretary of State, MPs and the public, of course, can be kept in the dark about convicted terrorists being given legal aid to fight civil cases, when police in another jurisdiction suspect they have salted away many tens of thousands - even hundreds of thousands - of pounds.
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/162
Published Date: 23-Nov-03
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