JILL DANDO MURDER ENQUIRY DETECTIVES ASSIST IN REVIEW OF OMAGH BOMB PROBE, BEREAVED TOLD
Jill Dando murder enquiry detectives assist in review of Omagh bomb probe, bereaved told
DETECTIVES who worked on the Jill Dando murder enquiry have been helping the RUC carry out a review of the Omagh bombing investigation, relatives of those who died were told this week.
During a meeting with the Secretary of State, Dr. John Reid, on Tuesday the relatives were told that there would be no let-up in the investigation.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, Mr. Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Self Help Group, said the meeting had been worthwhile.
He said that the relatives raised a number of issues with Dr. Reid, though would have had liked more time to explore other avenues.
"It is hard to gauge how these meetings go, but it is important that he should know the feelings and the thoughts of the people who have been bereaved," said Mr. Gallagher.
He said Dr. Reid was told of the disappointment felt by many that despite the intensive investigation by the RUC and Gardai, so far only one person had been charged.
He went on to say that a lot of families found it hard to understand that more action had not been taken against those believed to be members of the Real IRA. There was a perception that those charged in connection with Real IRA activities often got bail easily, and when they did come to court received lenient sentences.
This was something that lay within the precepts of the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, and Mr. Gallagher said the Secretary of State was asked to raise it with the Dublin Government.
Allegations in a Sunday newspaper that the security forces had been informed in a advance of plans for a bomb attack in Northern Ireland were also touched on, Mr. Gallagher said.
No let-up
He said the Secretary of State informed the group that there would be no let-up in the search for the bombers, and had said a complete review of investigation so far had been carried out and was coming to an end. Officers from the Jill Dando murder team had helped local detectives, he added.
"We were told that any new lines of enquiry that come from that review will be looked at again," Mr. Gallagher said.
The Secretary of State was also told of the continuing unhappiness among families over the level of compensation offered. For many the issue had not yet been resolved, Mr. Gallagher said.
As they left Stormont on Tuesday, Mr. Gallagher spoke of the continuing "pain" of the families that politicians had not managed to resolve the problems that exist in Northern Ireland.
And Omagh families have been distressed to learn that the latest murder victim in Northern Ireland was a son of a paramedic who had worked with people injured in the Omagh bombing.
Mr. Gallagher told reporters: "It is extremely sad that his father was somebody who reached out to other people in tragedy and has had to go under these terrible circumstances.
"We feel that pain, and it is up to those people who have accepted the money and said they could resolve this, it is time they got on and did that."
Mr. Gallagher was joined at Stormont by Godfrey and Anne Wilson, Stanley McCombe, Gerald McFarland and Lawrence Rush.
Mr. Rush said he did not think that Dr. Reid had given any more to the relatives that previous secretaries of state.
"We are very perturbed by the lack of commitment from him," Mr. Rush said.
Mr. Wilson said the Omagh relatives were victims, and the system would wish them to go away.
"There will be more victims created the way things are going," he said.
"We are just second-class citizens. They don't want to know us, it's just bury our dead and just go away," he added.
Meanwhile, plans are taking shape to mark the third anniversary of the bombing.
It is expected that that a simple ceremony will take place at the time of the 1998 bomb blast, which occurred on August 15 of that year.
DETECTIVES who worked on the Jill Dando murder enquiry have been helping the RUC carry out a review of the Omagh bombing investigation, relatives of those who died were told this week.
During a meeting with the Secretary of State, Dr. John Reid, on Tuesday the relatives were told that there would be no let-up in the investigation.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, Mr. Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Self Help Group, said the meeting had been worthwhile.
He said that the relatives raised a number of issues with Dr. Reid, though would have had liked more time to explore other avenues.
"It is hard to gauge how these meetings go, but it is important that he should know the feelings and the thoughts of the people who have been bereaved," said Mr. Gallagher.
He said Dr. Reid was told of the disappointment felt by many that despite the intensive investigation by the RUC and Gardai, so far only one person had been charged.
He went on to say that a lot of families found it hard to understand that more action had not been taken against those believed to be members of the Real IRA. There was a perception that those charged in connection with Real IRA activities often got bail easily, and when they did come to court received lenient sentences.
This was something that lay within the precepts of the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, and Mr. Gallagher said the Secretary of State was asked to raise it with the Dublin Government.
Allegations in a Sunday newspaper that the security forces had been informed in a advance of plans for a bomb attack in Northern Ireland were also touched on, Mr. Gallagher said.
No let-up
He said the Secretary of State informed the group that there would be no let-up in the search for the bombers, and had said a complete review of investigation so far had been carried out and was coming to an end. Officers from the Jill Dando murder team had helped local detectives, he added.
"We were told that any new lines of enquiry that come from that review will be looked at again," Mr. Gallagher said.
The Secretary of State was also told of the continuing unhappiness among families over the level of compensation offered. For many the issue had not yet been resolved, Mr. Gallagher said.
As they left Stormont on Tuesday, Mr. Gallagher spoke of the continuing "pain" of the families that politicians had not managed to resolve the problems that exist in Northern Ireland.
And Omagh families have been distressed to learn that the latest murder victim in Northern Ireland was a son of a paramedic who had worked with people injured in the Omagh bombing.
Mr. Gallagher told reporters: "It is extremely sad that his father was somebody who reached out to other people in tragedy and has had to go under these terrible circumstances.
"We feel that pain, and it is up to those people who have accepted the money and said they could resolve this, it is time they got on and did that."
Mr. Gallagher was joined at Stormont by Godfrey and Anne Wilson, Stanley McCombe, Gerald McFarland and Lawrence Rush.
Mr. Rush said he did not think that Dr. Reid had given any more to the relatives that previous secretaries of state.
"We are very perturbed by the lack of commitment from him," Mr. Rush said.
Mr. Wilson said the Omagh relatives were victims, and the system would wish them to go away.
"There will be more victims created the way things are going," he said.
"We are just second-class citizens. They don't want to know us, it's just bury our dead and just go away," he added.
Meanwhile, plans are taking shape to mark the third anniversary of the bombing.
It is expected that that a simple ceremony will take place at the time of the 1998 bomb blast, which occurred on August 15 of that year.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0892
Published Date: 02-Aug-01
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