FLANAGAN AND O'LOAN ENGAGED IN A BUNFIGHT- CLAIM
Flanagan and O'Loan engaged in a bunfight - claim
THE meeting had done little to appease the fears and concerns about alleged police inadequacies, Mr. Laurence Rush said when he left the meeting with the Chief Constable, Sir. Ronnie Flanagan, on Thursday.
Mr. Rush was the first of the relatives to speak to reporters outside the Silverbirch Hotel.
Stressing that he spoke only for himself and his family, Mr. Rush said the people of Omagh had been "drowned" in a long monotonous denial surrounding police investigative "inaccuracies."
"Sir Ronnie Flanagan has done very little to appease our fears about police inadequacies. He has blatantly denied every allegation made against him, Special Branch and the higher ranks of the PSNI," he said.
Mr. Rush said his criticisms did not include the "ordinary" RUC members, to whom relatives were eternally grateful.
Referring again to what had happened in the meeting room, he said relatives had sought details of the McVicker Report, the internal review of the investigation by a senior officer. Access to that had been denied them, he claimed.
"We are told it is an internal document, yet we are left in this precarious position where investigation is stagnating. It is time Sir Ronnie Flanagan produced results.
"I am sure this will all be brushed under the counter. Today's news will be forgotten tomorrow, but the fact remains the investigation is flawed as highlighted by O'Loan," he said.
Mr. Rush said that he had been in court on many days of the trial of Colm Murphy. Some people, he said, had been dubious of the conviction, but he believed that the Garda had done "an excellent job", along with some RUC men.
"I looked into the face of an associate of murderers and that gave my heart some hope for this country. We live in a very, very good country, and it is time that the police force, with all their reviews and all their experience, might finally come to their sense and put together a police force that is effective. What we have here is a situation that is a bunfight between Mrs O'Loan and Sir Ronnie Flanagan
"He is a good talker, he is a great PR man and is a very affable sort of a person, but he is defending a force [that has shown] inadequacies, ineptitudes and deceit. I think that good housekeeping is desired, to say the least".
THE meeting had done little to appease the fears and concerns about alleged police inadequacies, Mr. Laurence Rush said when he left the meeting with the Chief Constable, Sir. Ronnie Flanagan, on Thursday.
Mr. Rush was the first of the relatives to speak to reporters outside the Silverbirch Hotel.
Stressing that he spoke only for himself and his family, Mr. Rush said the people of Omagh had been "drowned" in a long monotonous denial surrounding police investigative "inaccuracies."
"Sir Ronnie Flanagan has done very little to appease our fears about police inadequacies. He has blatantly denied every allegation made against him, Special Branch and the higher ranks of the PSNI," he said.
Mr. Rush said his criticisms did not include the "ordinary" RUC members, to whom relatives were eternally grateful.
Referring again to what had happened in the meeting room, he said relatives had sought details of the McVicker Report, the internal review of the investigation by a senior officer. Access to that had been denied them, he claimed.
"We are told it is an internal document, yet we are left in this precarious position where investigation is stagnating. It is time Sir Ronnie Flanagan produced results.
"I am sure this will all be brushed under the counter. Today's news will be forgotten tomorrow, but the fact remains the investigation is flawed as highlighted by O'Loan," he said.
Mr. Rush said that he had been in court on many days of the trial of Colm Murphy. Some people, he said, had been dubious of the conviction, but he believed that the Garda had done "an excellent job", along with some RUC men.
"I looked into the face of an associate of murderers and that gave my heart some hope for this country. We live in a very, very good country, and it is time that the police force, with all their reviews and all their experience, might finally come to their sense and put together a police force that is effective. What we have here is a situation that is a bunfight between Mrs O'Loan and Sir Ronnie Flanagan
"He is a good talker, he is a great PR man and is a very affable sort of a person, but he is defending a force [that has shown] inadequacies, ineptitudes and deceit. I think that good housekeeping is desired, to say the least".
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1008
Published Date: 31-Jan-02
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