BOMB VICTIMS RELATIVES IN APPEAL TO GARDA
Bomb victims relatives in appeal to Garda
RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims have called on police forces on either side of the border to firm up a collective approach to their investigations into the August 1998 atrocity.
The relatives made a special appeal to Garda officers in a four-hour meeting with assistant commissioner, Kevin Carty, and detective superintendent, Tadgh Foley, late last week.
Speaking in Monaghan after their first ever meeting with gardai, Michael Gallagher said it had been a most painful and stressful experience.
"It was very difficult and frank," he said, adding that gardai had been left in no doubt of what was expected of them as the fifth anniversary of the Saturday-afternoon Real IRA blast approached.
Mr. Gallagher continued: "We have urged both the Garda and the PSNI to cooperate fully. We want to see those responsible behind bars, and we were given assurances that the two forces would work to that end."
However, Mr. Gallagher said that many of the issues raised in the course of the meeting must, of necessity, remain out of the public domain.
"We raised the matter of the man alleged to have stolen the car used in the bombing, but we were told it was an operational matter," he revealed.
"Obviously we would have liked more information, but it was very helpful to meet the people directing the investigation and to let them know of our concerns."
RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims have called on police forces on either side of the border to firm up a collective approach to their investigations into the August 1998 atrocity.
The relatives made a special appeal to Garda officers in a four-hour meeting with assistant commissioner, Kevin Carty, and detective superintendent, Tadgh Foley, late last week.
Speaking in Monaghan after their first ever meeting with gardai, Michael Gallagher said it had been a most painful and stressful experience.
"It was very difficult and frank," he said, adding that gardai had been left in no doubt of what was expected of them as the fifth anniversary of the Saturday-afternoon Real IRA blast approached.
Mr. Gallagher continued: "We have urged both the Garda and the PSNI to cooperate fully. We want to see those responsible behind bars, and we were given assurances that the two forces would work to that end."
However, Mr. Gallagher said that many of the issues raised in the course of the meeting must, of necessity, remain out of the public domain.
"We raised the matter of the man alleged to have stolen the car used in the bombing, but we were told it was an operational matter," he revealed.
"Obviously we would have liked more information, but it was very helpful to meet the people directing the investigation and to let them know of our concerns."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1607
Published Date: 22-May-03
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.