MCKEVITT DENIES ANY CONNECTION WITH BOMB
McKevitt denies any connection with bomb
by Elaine Keogh and Brian Carroll
THE man suspected of being behind the Omagh bomb massacre, Mickey McKevitt, last night denied he was responsible for the atrocity.
He with his partner, Bernadette Sands and his five children went into hiding yesterday after they claimed through a priest they had received death threats.
McKevitt told a local priest he had "no hand, act or part" in it. He made the denial after Bernadette Sands telephoned the priest saying she feared for her children.
Fr Desmond Campbell, Blackrock, Co Louth said he knew the McKevitt family and believed the call was made after he referred in Mass yesterday to the chief suspect for the bombing being widely believed to be from the parish.
"It was a despairing thing when they rang me, she broke down and cried. She said 'we are terribly upset by what is taking place' and she started to cry, she said 'it is my children, I am frightened out of my life that they will do something to my three children,'" said Fr Campbell.
"Then he (Mickey McKevitt) came on and made the statement to me about the situation. He was tougher about it than she would have been, he didn't break down or anything like that..
"What he did say, and I find it hard to disbelieve him - I won't say I believe him - he said, 'I had neither hand, act nor part in this thing. The first I knew about it whatsoever was when I was listening to the news on Saturday evening and it came on. That was the first I knew about this bomb that went off in Omagh and I had nothing whatsoever to do with it' - that's what he told me," said Fr Campbell.
McKevitt added: "At personal level, you know I am a Republican but I had nothing whatsoever to do with it; nor did I know anything was going to happen and I want to make that very, very clear." However, the couple did not ask the priest to go public.
The McKevitt denial comes as the Government plans to crush the Real IRA - who last night claimed responsibility for the bombing - at the end of the month, once new laws are approved giving the Special Criminal Court power to lock up suspected terrorists for at least six years.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who visited the families of the three Donegal young people killed in Saturday's blast last night, gave terrorist groups 24 hours to declare a ceasefire or face the full wrath of the forces of law and order.
Under the proposed law, the Special Criminal Court will be able to impose minimum six-year terms on suspected terrorists on the word of a Garda Chief Superintendent.
Late last night the British Government conceded that one of the Real IRA warnings on Saturday stated that the bomb was on Main Street about 200 yards from the courthouse and that it would go off in 30 minutes.
The call was made at 2.34pm to the Samaratins in Coleraine. The bomb exploded at 3.10pm.
A call two minutes earlier to UTV warned: "There's a bomb, courthouse, Omagh, main street, 500lbs, explosion 30 minutes".
The Real IRA yesterday insisted none of the three warnings stated the bomb was near the courthouse, and it was not the intention to kill civilians.
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
by Elaine Keogh and Brian Carroll
THE man suspected of being behind the Omagh bomb massacre, Mickey McKevitt, last night denied he was responsible for the atrocity.
He with his partner, Bernadette Sands and his five children went into hiding yesterday after they claimed through a priest they had received death threats.
McKevitt told a local priest he had "no hand, act or part" in it. He made the denial after Bernadette Sands telephoned the priest saying she feared for her children.
Fr Desmond Campbell, Blackrock, Co Louth said he knew the McKevitt family and believed the call was made after he referred in Mass yesterday to the chief suspect for the bombing being widely believed to be from the parish.
"It was a despairing thing when they rang me, she broke down and cried. She said 'we are terribly upset by what is taking place' and she started to cry, she said 'it is my children, I am frightened out of my life that they will do something to my three children,'" said Fr Campbell.
"Then he (Mickey McKevitt) came on and made the statement to me about the situation. He was tougher about it than she would have been, he didn't break down or anything like that..
"What he did say, and I find it hard to disbelieve him - I won't say I believe him - he said, 'I had neither hand, act nor part in this thing. The first I knew about it whatsoever was when I was listening to the news on Saturday evening and it came on. That was the first I knew about this bomb that went off in Omagh and I had nothing whatsoever to do with it' - that's what he told me," said Fr Campbell.
McKevitt added: "At personal level, you know I am a Republican but I had nothing whatsoever to do with it; nor did I know anything was going to happen and I want to make that very, very clear." However, the couple did not ask the priest to go public.
The McKevitt denial comes as the Government plans to crush the Real IRA - who last night claimed responsibility for the bombing - at the end of the month, once new laws are approved giving the Special Criminal Court power to lock up suspected terrorists for at least six years.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who visited the families of the three Donegal young people killed in Saturday's blast last night, gave terrorist groups 24 hours to declare a ceasefire or face the full wrath of the forces of law and order.
Under the proposed law, the Special Criminal Court will be able to impose minimum six-year terms on suspected terrorists on the word of a Garda Chief Superintendent.
Late last night the British Government conceded that one of the Real IRA warnings on Saturday stated that the bomb was on Main Street about 200 yards from the courthouse and that it would go off in 30 minutes.
The call was made at 2.34pm to the Samaratins in Coleraine. The bomb exploded at 3.10pm.
A call two minutes earlier to UTV warned: "There's a bomb, courthouse, Omagh, main street, 500lbs, explosion 30 minutes".
The Real IRA yesterday insisted none of the three warnings stated the bomb was near the courthouse, and it was not the intention to kill civilians.
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
Further Information
Publisher: THE EXAMINER
Ref: TEX/074
Published Date: 19-Aug-98
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