OMAGH FAMILIES BACK POLICE OMBUDSMAN
Omagh families back Police Ombudsman
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
THE families of those murdered and maimed in the Omagh bomb will not stand by while various individuals, organisations and certain sections of the media attempt to discredit the Police Ombudsman's Report. That was the view of Michael Gallagher Chairman of the Omagh Self Help group this week.
Mr Gallagher was speaking after columnists and commentators throughout the country attempted to undermine the validity of Mrs O'Loan's report into the Omagh bomb investigation.
Speaking to the UlsterHerald this week, Mr Gallagher said, "We will not stand for that as a group of families. We applaud Nuala O'Loan. She was the person who gave us answers about what was happening in the investigation. We would not have known about the warning on the 4th , of August if it had not been for the Police Ombudsman's Office."
The families are due to meet Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan in early January. Meanwhile several relatives expressed anger at the uninvited presence of a note taking senior police officer at their meeting with Ombudsman Mrs O'Loan and her team last week. The police officer was ejected from the meeting by the Ombudsman. However, his presence upset several among the relatives and this is likely to be raised with all the other substantive issues when they meet the Chief Constable.
Requests by the families to meet British Home Secretary David Blunkett and Prime Minister Tony Blair have thus far met with no response. Mr Gallagher, whose son, Adrian, was killed in the atrocity, said that the government seems to take the view that a life in Northern Ireland is of less value than a life in the UK.
"Sarah Payne's parents met, yesterday, with the Home Secretary. That's the second Home Secretary that has met the parents and that's a good thing, but we feel that there were 11children that died in the Omagh bombing and we've repeatedly requested meetings with the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister and to date we have not had a favourable response.
Mr Gallagher said that when the victims' families meet Mr Flanagan in January, they will give him a fair hearing: "He's going to tell us where he thinks the. Ombudsman's office have got it wrong."
Asked if he would have faith in the Chief Constable given the revelations in the report Mr Gallagher remarked "We will give him a fair hearing but we have full faith in the independence of the Ombudsman's office."
As to revelations in the document published last week Mr Gallagher said it was "too painful" to think that what happened could have been avoided.
"As far as we're concerned the people on the street that day should have got every opportunity and if there were any opportunities that were missed I think that serious questions need to be asked."
He continued, "If, for whatever reason, the system failed, that will need to be identified. We will not stop until we get to the bottom of what happened in Omagh. There is no doubt about who planted the bomb.
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
THE families of those murdered and maimed in the Omagh bomb will not stand by while various individuals, organisations and certain sections of the media attempt to discredit the Police Ombudsman's Report. That was the view of Michael Gallagher Chairman of the Omagh Self Help group this week.
Mr Gallagher was speaking after columnists and commentators throughout the country attempted to undermine the validity of Mrs O'Loan's report into the Omagh bomb investigation.
Speaking to the UlsterHerald this week, Mr Gallagher said, "We will not stand for that as a group of families. We applaud Nuala O'Loan. She was the person who gave us answers about what was happening in the investigation. We would not have known about the warning on the 4th , of August if it had not been for the Police Ombudsman's Office."
The families are due to meet Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan in early January. Meanwhile several relatives expressed anger at the uninvited presence of a note taking senior police officer at their meeting with Ombudsman Mrs O'Loan and her team last week. The police officer was ejected from the meeting by the Ombudsman. However, his presence upset several among the relatives and this is likely to be raised with all the other substantive issues when they meet the Chief Constable.
Requests by the families to meet British Home Secretary David Blunkett and Prime Minister Tony Blair have thus far met with no response. Mr Gallagher, whose son, Adrian, was killed in the atrocity, said that the government seems to take the view that a life in Northern Ireland is of less value than a life in the UK.
"Sarah Payne's parents met, yesterday, with the Home Secretary. That's the second Home Secretary that has met the parents and that's a good thing, but we feel that there were 11children that died in the Omagh bombing and we've repeatedly requested meetings with the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister and to date we have not had a favourable response.
Mr Gallagher said that when the victims' families meet Mr Flanagan in January, they will give him a fair hearing: "He's going to tell us where he thinks the. Ombudsman's office have got it wrong."
Asked if he would have faith in the Chief Constable given the revelations in the report Mr Gallagher remarked "We will give him a fair hearing but we have full faith in the independence of the Ombudsman's office."
As to revelations in the document published last week Mr Gallagher said it was "too painful" to think that what happened could have been avoided.
"As far as we're concerned the people on the street that day should have got every opportunity and if there were any opportunities that were missed I think that serious questions need to be asked."
He continued, "If, for whatever reason, the system failed, that will need to be identified. We will not stop until we get to the bottom of what happened in Omagh. There is no doubt about who planted the bomb.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0889
Published Date: 20-Dec-01
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.