RELATIVES SEEK EARLY MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER
Relatives seek early meeting with Prime Minister
THE Omagh Victims' Support Group has called for a full public inquiry with no amnesty and an early meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Marion Radford, whose 16-year-old son was killed in the Omagh bomb, made the call on behalf of the group at a press conference in response to the Ombudsman's report yesterday afternoon.
Group chairman, Michael Gallagher, summing up the report, said that it uncovered some glaring things that should have been done better as professional policemen.
"One part of the police service doesn't co-operate with the other, that was the thing that became apparent.
"Information passed on was not acted upon, and opportunities were missed. Had they been taken advantage of who knows what the outcome would have been," he said.
On the question of whether the bomb could have been prevented, he added that it was very painful and difficult hearing the report and weighing up that very possibility.
"I think basically the way in which the investigation was conducted, the way the management systems in the RUC worked and the fact that the omissions were identified is unforgivable," he added.
Hard-hitting
Mr Lawrence Rushe, whose wife Libby was killed in the bomb, was hard-hitting in his criticism of the RUC.
"They are guilty of breaking their code of conduct, and not actually defending and serving the people," he said
Mr. Rushe called for the resignation of Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan, and other senior members of his staff.
Gerald McFarland, whose daughter, Samantha, also lost her life in the bomb, said there was a missed opportunity that when the information was received on August 4 that it was not acted upon.
It was disturbing to realise that it had not been passed on to the local commander so appropriate measures could be taken.
THE Omagh Victims' Support Group has called for a full public inquiry with no amnesty and an early meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Marion Radford, whose 16-year-old son was killed in the Omagh bomb, made the call on behalf of the group at a press conference in response to the Ombudsman's report yesterday afternoon.
Group chairman, Michael Gallagher, summing up the report, said that it uncovered some glaring things that should have been done better as professional policemen.
"One part of the police service doesn't co-operate with the other, that was the thing that became apparent.
"Information passed on was not acted upon, and opportunities were missed. Had they been taken advantage of who knows what the outcome would have been," he said.
On the question of whether the bomb could have been prevented, he added that it was very painful and difficult hearing the report and weighing up that very possibility.
"I think basically the way in which the investigation was conducted, the way the management systems in the RUC worked and the fact that the omissions were identified is unforgivable," he added.
Hard-hitting
Mr Lawrence Rushe, whose wife Libby was killed in the bomb, was hard-hitting in his criticism of the RUC.
"They are guilty of breaking their code of conduct, and not actually defending and serving the people," he said
Mr. Rushe called for the resignation of Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan, and other senior members of his staff.
Gerald McFarland, whose daughter, Samantha, also lost her life in the bomb, said there was a missed opportunity that when the information was received on August 4 that it was not acted upon.
It was disturbing to realise that it had not been passed on to the local commander so appropriate measures could be taken.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0963
Published Date: 13-Dec-01
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