OMAGH FAMILIES LOBBY BRITISH PM FOR ACCESS TO BOMBERS PHONE CALLS
Omagh families lobby British PM for access to bombers' phone calls
BY RONAN McSHERRY
RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims are urging the Prime Minister Gordon Brown to direct British intelligence to hand over top-secret phone recordings made by members of the Real IRA gang as they transported the bomb that killed their loved ones.
The phone calls came to light during a recent Panorama investigation about the bombing. The families want previously withheld or restricted information reportedly in the hands of GCHQ and other intelligence bodies such as MI5 to be made available to their civil case.
According to Michael Gallagher, Chairman of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, over 80 MPs have signed a petition to be presented to the Prime Minister calling for the release of the information.
"We are asking for Gordon Brown to order British Intelligence to give the information to our lawyers as we believe it is in the national interest. As Parliament is currently not sitting and the Conservative Party conference is taking place this week, we plan to lobby other MPs to lend their weight to our appeal. We are asking the Prime Minister to help the families."
Despite reports that the families are taking legal action to have the recordings handed over, Mr Gallagher confirmed that a subpoena has not been served but, 'will be considered as an option if necessary.'
The civil action is going into week 14 today (Monday) at the High Court in Belfast.
Six families of those killed in the bombing in the town have taken the multi-million pound case against the men they believe were responsible for the atrocity. Twenty-nine people and unborn twins lost their lives while hundreds more were injured. The dissident republicans being sued for the massacre Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna deny liability.
The programme, 'Omagh: What the Police Were Never Told,' reported that GCHQ intercepted mobile phone calls by the bombers on the day of the attack.
The programme makers claimed that the bombers were tracked through their mobile phones as they made their 90 minute journey from the Republic to Omagh. Panorama said its findings raised questions as to whether the bombing could have been prevented.
One source told Panorama that GCHQ sent details of the conversations to the North within six hours of the bombing.
But RUC assistant chief constable at the time of the bombing Raymond White told the programme his former colleagues in police special branch 'categorically' denied this.
Although under law the intelligence gathered through GCHQ intercepts cannot be used as evidence in a criminal case, lawyers for the victims argue that this information can be used in the civil case.
A spokesman from GCHQ declined to comment on the allegations made by Panorama or the threat of legal action.
BY RONAN McSHERRY
RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims are urging the Prime Minister Gordon Brown to direct British intelligence to hand over top-secret phone recordings made by members of the Real IRA gang as they transported the bomb that killed their loved ones.
The phone calls came to light during a recent Panorama investigation about the bombing. The families want previously withheld or restricted information reportedly in the hands of GCHQ and other intelligence bodies such as MI5 to be made available to their civil case.
According to Michael Gallagher, Chairman of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, over 80 MPs have signed a petition to be presented to the Prime Minister calling for the release of the information.
"We are asking for Gordon Brown to order British Intelligence to give the information to our lawyers as we believe it is in the national interest. As Parliament is currently not sitting and the Conservative Party conference is taking place this week, we plan to lobby other MPs to lend their weight to our appeal. We are asking the Prime Minister to help the families."
Despite reports that the families are taking legal action to have the recordings handed over, Mr Gallagher confirmed that a subpoena has not been served but, 'will be considered as an option if necessary.'
The civil action is going into week 14 today (Monday) at the High Court in Belfast.
Six families of those killed in the bombing in the town have taken the multi-million pound case against the men they believe were responsible for the atrocity. Twenty-nine people and unborn twins lost their lives while hundreds more were injured. The dissident republicans being sued for the massacre Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna deny liability.
The programme, 'Omagh: What the Police Were Never Told,' reported that GCHQ intercepted mobile phone calls by the bombers on the day of the attack.
The programme makers claimed that the bombers were tracked through their mobile phones as they made their 90 minute journey from the Republic to Omagh. Panorama said its findings raised questions as to whether the bombing could have been prevented.
One source told Panorama that GCHQ sent details of the conversations to the North within six hours of the bombing.
But RUC assistant chief constable at the time of the bombing Raymond White told the programme his former colleagues in police special branch 'categorically' denied this.
Although under law the intelligence gathered through GCHQ intercepts cannot be used as evidence in a criminal case, lawyers for the victims argue that this information can be used in the civil case.
A spokesman from GCHQ declined to comment on the allegations made by Panorama or the threat of legal action.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE HERALD
Ref: TYH/077
Published Date: 29-Sep-08
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