MISTAKES OF THE PAST WILL NOT BE REPEATED - POLICE CHIEF
Mistakes of past will not be repeated' - police chief
THERE can be no guarantees that those culpable for the Omagh bombing will be brought to justice, but police would work hard to get that result, a senior officer said this week.
And Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kincaid, officer in command of the PSNI's North Region, said in an interview this week that the victims had 'been victimised twice'
He said they had been victimised by the original atrocity, and then by the way the criminal justice system had, so far, been unable to deliver a prosecution against any of those who made or planted the bomb.
His comments came just days before the fourth anniversary of the bombing. ACC Kincaid, head of the PSNI's north region, will oversee the investigation. It also has a new officer-in-charge of the enquiries. Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter, while two English police officers will liaise with the investigators and the Policing Board.
Giving an overview of the investigation, Mr Kincaid said successful prosecution could not be guaranteed.
"You can't guarantee success in murder investigations. What you can guarantee, though, is to work hard to get the result," he told 'the Irish News'.
He said that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated, and the investigation team would do everything in their power to bring the bombers to justice.
Police have always said they have a good idea who was behind the blast, but have lacked the evidence to prove that in court.
So far only one man, Colm Murphy, has been convicted in relation to the atrocity. He is serving a jail term in the Republic for conspiracy.
A few weeks ago some of the relatives served writs for civil legal action on five men they believe were behind the blast. The case may come to court before the end of the year.
This week ACC Kincaid said that while civil action was not the way he would like to see things happening, the families were perfectly entitled to take their action.
He also spoke this week about some of the controversies that have dogged the investigation so far.
He conceded that some aspects had been "disappointing".
Now, however, with what is largely a new team at the head of the investigation, Mr Kincaid said that all aspects were open to scrutiny. That, he said, included the comments made by the Police Ombudsman's office, as well as the claims by the so called double agent Kevin Fulton and the allegations made by a Garda sergeant that information he had given was never passed on by his authorities to the RUC.
Mr Kincaid has already met some of the Omagh relatives, who have welcomed the new impetus to the investigation. He and other senior officers will be keeping them abreast of developments.
THERE can be no guarantees that those culpable for the Omagh bombing will be brought to justice, but police would work hard to get that result, a senior officer said this week.
And Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kincaid, officer in command of the PSNI's North Region, said in an interview this week that the victims had 'been victimised twice'
He said they had been victimised by the original atrocity, and then by the way the criminal justice system had, so far, been unable to deliver a prosecution against any of those who made or planted the bomb.
His comments came just days before the fourth anniversary of the bombing. ACC Kincaid, head of the PSNI's north region, will oversee the investigation. It also has a new officer-in-charge of the enquiries. Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter, while two English police officers will liaise with the investigators and the Policing Board.
Giving an overview of the investigation, Mr Kincaid said successful prosecution could not be guaranteed.
"You can't guarantee success in murder investigations. What you can guarantee, though, is to work hard to get the result," he told 'the Irish News'.
He said that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated, and the investigation team would do everything in their power to bring the bombers to justice.
Police have always said they have a good idea who was behind the blast, but have lacked the evidence to prove that in court.
So far only one man, Colm Murphy, has been convicted in relation to the atrocity. He is serving a jail term in the Republic for conspiracy.
A few weeks ago some of the relatives served writs for civil legal action on five men they believe were behind the blast. The case may come to court before the end of the year.
This week ACC Kincaid said that while civil action was not the way he would like to see things happening, the families were perfectly entitled to take their action.
He also spoke this week about some of the controversies that have dogged the investigation so far.
He conceded that some aspects had been "disappointing".
Now, however, with what is largely a new team at the head of the investigation, Mr Kincaid said that all aspects were open to scrutiny. That, he said, included the comments made by the Police Ombudsman's office, as well as the claims by the so called double agent Kevin Fulton and the allegations made by a Garda sergeant that information he had given was never passed on by his authorities to the RUC.
Mr Kincaid has already met some of the Omagh relatives, who have welcomed the new impetus to the investigation. He and other senior officers will be keeping them abreast of developments.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1074
Published Date: 15-Aug-02
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