BOMB ACCUSED SHIOULD GIVE EVIDENCE - CALL
Bomb accused should give evidence - call
By Anne Palmer
A MAN charged with conspiring to cause the Omagh bomb blast in August 1998 should be called to give evidence at the inquest, which opens next week, a preliminary hearing was told yesterday.
Mr. Michael Gallagher, spokesperson for the Omagh Victims and Self-Help Support Group, said more names should be added to the existing list of 150 witnesses.
One of those, he said, was Colm Murphy, the man charged with conspiring to cause the explosion.
And he also said that Omagh councillor, Mr. Francis Mackey, chairman of the 32-County Sovereignty Committee, should be called to give evidence.
The families of the Omagh bomb victims were granted access to photographs, maps and witness statements under an application for pre-inquest disclosure.
Following the preliminary enquiry Mr John Leckey, coroner for Greater Belfast, said that he had used his discretion in granting access to the documentation.
Mr Leckey said that in reaching his decision he had taken into account the large number of deaths, the fact that there were a number of families who did not nave legal representation and the large number of witnesses.
The coroner said that the relevant information would be made available to the families on Friday at the court house at 2pm and would be given to the families who had legal representation, in an electronic form on disk.
He stipulated that each person would have to sign for the material that they received and said that they would have to show some form of identification.
Mr Leckey pointed out that "all would be provided with common evidence" and he said that some of the information would be specific to each family, relevant to their deceased family member and would not be of a general nature, so as not to breach the confidentiality relating to separate families.
Photocopies of the relevant documents pertaining to the deceased family member are also to be made available to the families who do not have legal representation.
Mr Leckey revealed that information on the results of the postmortem examination would also be made available to each particular family.
The coroner asked that all material be treated as confidential and he said that having made the decision to grant access to it using his discretion, he would personally be disappointed if any information was made public.
Training sessions have also been arranged for those who are to receive the relevant information on disk, it emerged.
At the outset of the hearing, the coroner told the court that purpose of the preliminary hearing was to consider any application or submission other than the application by C.S. Kelly, solicitors for pre-inquest disclosure.
The coroner extended his sympathy to the relatives of the Omagh Bomb and acknowledged the very great loss that each of them had suffered.
Speaking on behalf of his clients in Buncrana, solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn, made the application to the coroner to obtain early access to depositions, maps and photographs, so that his clients would be better prepared for the inquest.
During the hearing Mr Gallagher pointed out that a number of people in his group felt that two further people should be included in the witness list.
He named, the accused Colm Murphy, who is the only person to date to be convicted in connection with the Omagh Bomb.
He also named Francis Mackey, chairman of the 32 Counties Sovereignty Group, an organisation which he said was "inextricably linked to the Real IRA."
By Anne Palmer
A MAN charged with conspiring to cause the Omagh bomb blast in August 1998 should be called to give evidence at the inquest, which opens next week, a preliminary hearing was told yesterday.
Mr. Michael Gallagher, spokesperson for the Omagh Victims and Self-Help Support Group, said more names should be added to the existing list of 150 witnesses.
One of those, he said, was Colm Murphy, the man charged with conspiring to cause the explosion.
And he also said that Omagh councillor, Mr. Francis Mackey, chairman of the 32-County Sovereignty Committee, should be called to give evidence.
The families of the Omagh bomb victims were granted access to photographs, maps and witness statements under an application for pre-inquest disclosure.
Following the preliminary enquiry Mr John Leckey, coroner for Greater Belfast, said that he had used his discretion in granting access to the documentation.
Mr Leckey said that in reaching his decision he had taken into account the large number of deaths, the fact that there were a number of families who did not nave legal representation and the large number of witnesses.
The coroner said that the relevant information would be made available to the families on Friday at the court house at 2pm and would be given to the families who had legal representation, in an electronic form on disk.
He stipulated that each person would have to sign for the material that they received and said that they would have to show some form of identification.
Mr Leckey pointed out that "all would be provided with common evidence" and he said that some of the information would be specific to each family, relevant to their deceased family member and would not be of a general nature, so as not to breach the confidentiality relating to separate families.
Photocopies of the relevant documents pertaining to the deceased family member are also to be made available to the families who do not have legal representation.
Mr Leckey revealed that information on the results of the postmortem examination would also be made available to each particular family.
The coroner asked that all material be treated as confidential and he said that having made the decision to grant access to it using his discretion, he would personally be disappointed if any information was made public.
Training sessions have also been arranged for those who are to receive the relevant information on disk, it emerged.
At the outset of the hearing, the coroner told the court that purpose of the preliminary hearing was to consider any application or submission other than the application by C.S. Kelly, solicitors for pre-inquest disclosure.
The coroner extended his sympathy to the relatives of the Omagh Bomb and acknowledged the very great loss that each of them had suffered.
Speaking on behalf of his clients in Buncrana, solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn, made the application to the coroner to obtain early access to depositions, maps and photographs, so that his clients would be better prepared for the inquest.
During the hearing Mr Gallagher pointed out that a number of people in his group felt that two further people should be included in the witness list.
He named, the accused Colm Murphy, who is the only person to date to be convicted in connection with the Omagh Bomb.
He also named Francis Mackey, chairman of the 32 Counties Sovereignty Group, an organisation which he said was "inextricably linked to the Real IRA."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1516
Published Date: 31-Aug-00
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