WRITS SERVED ON FIVE OVER OMAGH BOMB ATTACK
Bereaved families give their reaction to latest move
by Doreen Graham
Writs served on five over Omagh bomb attack
THE families of the Omagh bomb victims this week gave their reaction to the news that writs had been served on the five men they believe are responsible for the August 1998 bombing.
The writs were served in the Republic last Friday shortly after it was revealed that the Omagh relatives had beaten a legal deadline which threatened their unprecedented civil action by raising enough financial backing to allow them to bring the suspected terrorists to court.
Three of the men were served their writs in Portlaoise Prison, while two more were delivered to homes in Dundalk.
Last August, on the eve of the third anniversary of the atrocity, solicitors for the families issued writs at Belfast High Court against the five men and the Real IRA itself in a unique move which has seen alleged terrorists being sued for the first time.
Members of nine families, representing 10 victims, were named as the 21 plaintiffs on the writ.
The defendants were named as Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna.
Colm Murphy, sentenced earlier this year in a Dublin court to 14 years for conspiring to commit the outrage, remains the only person to have been charged in relation to the atrocity.
The families had 12 months to actually serve the writs on the men and to ensure that they had sufficient financial support in place to proceed with the action.
A campaign to raise �2 million launched on behalf of the families by the Omagh Victims Legal Trust drew widespread support from the public and celebrities such as Sir Bob Geldof and Eddie Irvine.
Enough money has now been raised to allow the case to go on to the next stage, but more still needs to be banked to fully fund the legal action.
The five suspects do not have to answer the writs as they were issued in Belfast High Court. If they don't the families' lawyers will still proceed with the action and have to prove their case.
Compensation
If they do so successfully it is understood they can be awarded compensation or have an order made to seize assets belonging to the suspects.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aidan in the bombing, said: "We are obviously delighted that after 18 months of fundraising that money is not going to stop us going forward, but the families take no pleasure in this process whatsoever.
"We have done this for justice and to perhaps learn more about what happened at Omagh. We have always wanted people to be held accountable.
"For now this is our only option, but we will continue to press the British and Irish governments to bring people before the courts and put them behind bars."
Mr Gallagher also expressed his thanks to all the people who had supported the campaign, especially those in Omagh and the Tyrone area in general.
"It is thanks to their generosity that we have reached this point," he said.
He added that he believed the support garnered by the campaign "sends a clear message to terrorists who plant deadly devices or who set out to shoot people that the ordinary people of Ireland are seeking another way forward."
Drumquin man, Kevin Skelton, whose wife, Philomena, was killed in the atrocity, said he had been confident the action would go ahead, he just hadn't known when.
"I just hope it does some good," Mr Skelton said.
"The serving of these writs has once again brought the case to the fore and perhaps someone's memory will be jogged. If someone came forward with new information it might allow the authorities to take these people to a criminal court."
He added that while he thought it was great so many people had helped the families to reach this stage by contributing to the fund, he found it "very down heartening that the proper authorities can't take action against these suspected terrorists and ordinary people have to go after justice for themselves."
Godfrey Wilson, father of Omagh victim Lorraine Wilson, said he was also glad that the families had been able to serve these writs "as it seems to be the only step forward we can take in getting justice."
New evidence
"We need this new case to get justice done and perhaps find new evidence to help the criminal investigation into the bombing," Mr Wilson added.
Criticising the government for not doing enough to bring the perpetrators of the Omagh bombing to justice, Mr Wilson said the new squad
put together to handle the criminal investigation into the bomb would not get far without new evidence.
"The police have told us they have not got enough evidence to bring criminal proceedings but there is enough for a civil case. We're aiming to have justice done, not just seem to be done," he said.
Mr Wilson said the families of the Omagh bomb victims were "living in hell" and that "the prisoners got out of gaol while we [the families] were condemned to a life sentence."
"When a loved one dies, you bury them, grieve for them and get on with life," said Mr Wilson. "But we can't go on. We have to keep grieving over and over because the only way we can get justice for my daughter and the other innocent victims of the Omagh bomb is to continuously rake the whole thing up.
"The terrorists brought this to us, to our doorstep. We didn't do anything wrong and our loved ones didn't either. All we are looking for now is justice."
Commenting on the British Prime Minister Tony Blair's promise to support the US in its 'war on terrorism', Mr Wilson said, "Obviously Mr Blair must think there's 'good' terrorists and 'bad' terrorists because while he's helping George W. Bush to fight Osama Bin Laden, ex-terrorists, by their own confession, over here can sit in government."
Mr Wilson also derides the suggestion that the apology made recently by the IRA to the families of its civilian victims was a significant step forward for the Northern Ireland peace process.
"The apology issued recently by the IRA was ridiculous. It was nothing but an act of self-promotion, a sick statement. There is no adequate apology for murdering people," said Mr Wilson.
"It is just a political step to look good in the government's eyes.
Politicians were jumping up and down and calling it a great step.
"For me the greatest step would be if all the terrorists on both sides, loyalist and republican, handed over their weapons. I don't want anyone having weapons because as long as they do people here will continue to be killed."
Adding his thanks to all the members of the public and the celebrities who had supported the appeal and contributed to it, Mr Wilson said: "Without them we could not have come this far and I thank them from the bottom of my heart."
by Doreen Graham
Writs served on five over Omagh bomb attack
THE families of the Omagh bomb victims this week gave their reaction to the news that writs had been served on the five men they believe are responsible for the August 1998 bombing.
The writs were served in the Republic last Friday shortly after it was revealed that the Omagh relatives had beaten a legal deadline which threatened their unprecedented civil action by raising enough financial backing to allow them to bring the suspected terrorists to court.
Three of the men were served their writs in Portlaoise Prison, while two more were delivered to homes in Dundalk.
Last August, on the eve of the third anniversary of the atrocity, solicitors for the families issued writs at Belfast High Court against the five men and the Real IRA itself in a unique move which has seen alleged terrorists being sued for the first time.
Members of nine families, representing 10 victims, were named as the 21 plaintiffs on the writ.
The defendants were named as Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna.
Colm Murphy, sentenced earlier this year in a Dublin court to 14 years for conspiring to commit the outrage, remains the only person to have been charged in relation to the atrocity.
The families had 12 months to actually serve the writs on the men and to ensure that they had sufficient financial support in place to proceed with the action.
A campaign to raise �2 million launched on behalf of the families by the Omagh Victims Legal Trust drew widespread support from the public and celebrities such as Sir Bob Geldof and Eddie Irvine.
Enough money has now been raised to allow the case to go on to the next stage, but more still needs to be banked to fully fund the legal action.
The five suspects do not have to answer the writs as they were issued in Belfast High Court. If they don't the families' lawyers will still proceed with the action and have to prove their case.
Compensation
If they do so successfully it is understood they can be awarded compensation or have an order made to seize assets belonging to the suspects.
Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aidan in the bombing, said: "We are obviously delighted that after 18 months of fundraising that money is not going to stop us going forward, but the families take no pleasure in this process whatsoever.
"We have done this for justice and to perhaps learn more about what happened at Omagh. We have always wanted people to be held accountable.
"For now this is our only option, but we will continue to press the British and Irish governments to bring people before the courts and put them behind bars."
Mr Gallagher also expressed his thanks to all the people who had supported the campaign, especially those in Omagh and the Tyrone area in general.
"It is thanks to their generosity that we have reached this point," he said.
He added that he believed the support garnered by the campaign "sends a clear message to terrorists who plant deadly devices or who set out to shoot people that the ordinary people of Ireland are seeking another way forward."
Drumquin man, Kevin Skelton, whose wife, Philomena, was killed in the atrocity, said he had been confident the action would go ahead, he just hadn't known when.
"I just hope it does some good," Mr Skelton said.
"The serving of these writs has once again brought the case to the fore and perhaps someone's memory will be jogged. If someone came forward with new information it might allow the authorities to take these people to a criminal court."
He added that while he thought it was great so many people had helped the families to reach this stage by contributing to the fund, he found it "very down heartening that the proper authorities can't take action against these suspected terrorists and ordinary people have to go after justice for themselves."
Godfrey Wilson, father of Omagh victim Lorraine Wilson, said he was also glad that the families had been able to serve these writs "as it seems to be the only step forward we can take in getting justice."
New evidence
"We need this new case to get justice done and perhaps find new evidence to help the criminal investigation into the bombing," Mr Wilson added.
Criticising the government for not doing enough to bring the perpetrators of the Omagh bombing to justice, Mr Wilson said the new squad
put together to handle the criminal investigation into the bomb would not get far without new evidence.
"The police have told us they have not got enough evidence to bring criminal proceedings but there is enough for a civil case. We're aiming to have justice done, not just seem to be done," he said.
Mr Wilson said the families of the Omagh bomb victims were "living in hell" and that "the prisoners got out of gaol while we [the families] were condemned to a life sentence."
"When a loved one dies, you bury them, grieve for them and get on with life," said Mr Wilson. "But we can't go on. We have to keep grieving over and over because the only way we can get justice for my daughter and the other innocent victims of the Omagh bomb is to continuously rake the whole thing up.
"The terrorists brought this to us, to our doorstep. We didn't do anything wrong and our loved ones didn't either. All we are looking for now is justice."
Commenting on the British Prime Minister Tony Blair's promise to support the US in its 'war on terrorism', Mr Wilson said, "Obviously Mr Blair must think there's 'good' terrorists and 'bad' terrorists because while he's helping George W. Bush to fight Osama Bin Laden, ex-terrorists, by their own confession, over here can sit in government."
Mr Wilson also derides the suggestion that the apology made recently by the IRA to the families of its civilian victims was a significant step forward for the Northern Ireland peace process.
"The apology issued recently by the IRA was ridiculous. It was nothing but an act of self-promotion, a sick statement. There is no adequate apology for murdering people," said Mr Wilson.
"It is just a political step to look good in the government's eyes.
Politicians were jumping up and down and calling it a great step.
"For me the greatest step would be if all the terrorists on both sides, loyalist and republican, handed over their weapons. I don't want anyone having weapons because as long as they do people here will continue to be killed."
Adding his thanks to all the members of the public and the celebrities who had supported the appeal and contributed to it, Mr Wilson said: "Without them we could not have come this far and I thank them from the bottom of my heart."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1068
Published Date: 01-Aug-02
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