DATE SET FOR FLANAGAN TO MEET OMAGH FAMILIES
Date set for Flanagan to meet Omagh families
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
CHIEF Constable Ronnie Flanagan will meet the relatives of those killed and maimed in the 1998 Omagh blast on January 24, following the publication of the Police Ombudsman's report in mid December which showed that had police had information that Omagh was to be bombed 11 days before the atrocity of August 15.
The Ombudsman's report was highly critical of the RUC's handling of the inquiry and facts such as the warning phoned through to CID did not come to light until Mrs O'Loan's office began its investigation.
In short the Ombudsman's report catalogued a series of damning; errors, over sights, misjudgements, omissions, along with evidence of operational duplicity.
It is believed that Mr Flanagan will personally deliver his response to the damning report and will provide detailed accounts of police actions throughout the affair. While, the meeting is scheduled for January 24, however, the location is, as yet, unknown.
Chairman of the Omagh Self Help and Support Group, Michael Gallagher who was bereaved in the atrocity, said he hopes that following the meeting the relatives will have a comprehensive document to peruse in the way that they had following the meeting with Mrs O'Loan in December.
Mr Gallagher said that the Omagh families would not allow the Ombudsman's report to be killed off and said that the only people who will be served by the truth not coming out are the perpetrators of the atrocity.
He said that the meeting could be emotional and at times difficult and said that there was no doubt that the police had questions to answer.
"The Chief Constable has now created an opportunity to come to Omagh and to tell the families where he thinks has got it wrong. We believed that the police did everything in their power to get justice but this report seems to suggest that more could've been done and that opportunities were missed.
Initially, the Chief Constable rejected the report and suggested that if the findings were shown to be true that he would resign and commit suicide. However, since that time he has admitted that there were "administrative errors" during the investigation. Furthermore, though he was to have retired at the end of this month it is now believed that he may stay in his post until September.
A police spokesman could not comment on the format of the meeting, or say whether or not the Chief Constable would be presenting the relatives with a document detailing his response to the O'Loan report. It is understood that the press will not be admitted to the meeting to protect the privacy of the families.
WHAT THE OMBUDSMAN FOUND OUT
In a nineteen point analysis of information passed to Special Branch about the impending attack on Omagh, the Ombudsman ruled that significant information was not handled correctly.
The report highlighted such a catalogue of errors and cast doubts on the affirmation of the Chief Constable that the atrocity could not have been averted. Indeed, the list of errors and omissions is so extensive as to cast further suspicion on the Special Branch agenda at the time of the bomb.
The Ombudsman confirmed that police were tipped off about the attack and that the officer who received the call immediately told Special Branch and indicated that it was a serious threat.
The anonymous call was over ten minutes long and the report says that the caller provided "considerable detail and was engaged in conversation for at least 10 minutes".
According to the Ombudsman, "Some assessment and very limited action was taken on the anonymous information in the days immediately after its receipt by the RUC."
Moreover, the report showed that Special branch failed to identify 'available intelligence' held in respect of one those 'D' named in the call, nor did they follow up on information which showed that a person identified as 'E' had strong connections to republican paramilitaries.
James Baxter, the Sub-Divisional Commander was not informed about the anonymous call on 4th August until 15th August 2000, two years after the bomb, despite the fact that a massive investigation had been launched after the atrocity.
There was a direct breach of regulations which require that the Sub-Divisional Commander be informed when a general threat is received so that appropriate action is taken. The Ombudsman reported that Special Branch should have warned the Sub Divisional Commander. The report indicated that the bomb could have been prevented from coming to Omagh if police had mounted road blocks.
The Ombudsman reported, "Had reaction to such a warning been to establish vehicle checkpoints the bombers may have been deterred", however, Mr Baxter indicated that, even if he had been informed of the threat, he would not have set up vehicle checkpoints, rather, he would have taken alternative action.
People identified by the anonymous caller on August 4 as C,D,E and F have not been investigated nor had their roles in the Omagh bomb been considered prior to September 3, 2001.
Nor has there been any investigation in relation to the handling by Special Branch of the anonymous call as recommended by the reviewing officer in the Omagh Bomb Review Report.
Mrs O'Loan concluded, "The police Ombudsman is firmly of the view that this significant information was not handled correctly.
"It is not possible to say what impact other action between 4 August 1998 and 15 August 1998 would have had or whether action other than that taken by Special Branch could have prevented the Omagh Bomb."
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
CHIEF Constable Ronnie Flanagan will meet the relatives of those killed and maimed in the 1998 Omagh blast on January 24, following the publication of the Police Ombudsman's report in mid December which showed that had police had information that Omagh was to be bombed 11 days before the atrocity of August 15.
The Ombudsman's report was highly critical of the RUC's handling of the inquiry and facts such as the warning phoned through to CID did not come to light until Mrs O'Loan's office began its investigation.
In short the Ombudsman's report catalogued a series of damning; errors, over sights, misjudgements, omissions, along with evidence of operational duplicity.
It is believed that Mr Flanagan will personally deliver his response to the damning report and will provide detailed accounts of police actions throughout the affair. While, the meeting is scheduled for January 24, however, the location is, as yet, unknown.
Chairman of the Omagh Self Help and Support Group, Michael Gallagher who was bereaved in the atrocity, said he hopes that following the meeting the relatives will have a comprehensive document to peruse in the way that they had following the meeting with Mrs O'Loan in December.
Mr Gallagher said that the Omagh families would not allow the Ombudsman's report to be killed off and said that the only people who will be served by the truth not coming out are the perpetrators of the atrocity.
He said that the meeting could be emotional and at times difficult and said that there was no doubt that the police had questions to answer.
"The Chief Constable has now created an opportunity to come to Omagh and to tell the families where he thinks has got it wrong. We believed that the police did everything in their power to get justice but this report seems to suggest that more could've been done and that opportunities were missed.
Initially, the Chief Constable rejected the report and suggested that if the findings were shown to be true that he would resign and commit suicide. However, since that time he has admitted that there were "administrative errors" during the investigation. Furthermore, though he was to have retired at the end of this month it is now believed that he may stay in his post until September.
A police spokesman could not comment on the format of the meeting, or say whether or not the Chief Constable would be presenting the relatives with a document detailing his response to the O'Loan report. It is understood that the press will not be admitted to the meeting to protect the privacy of the families.
WHAT THE OMBUDSMAN FOUND OUT
In a nineteen point analysis of information passed to Special Branch about the impending attack on Omagh, the Ombudsman ruled that significant information was not handled correctly.
The report highlighted such a catalogue of errors and cast doubts on the affirmation of the Chief Constable that the atrocity could not have been averted. Indeed, the list of errors and omissions is so extensive as to cast further suspicion on the Special Branch agenda at the time of the bomb.
The Ombudsman confirmed that police were tipped off about the attack and that the officer who received the call immediately told Special Branch and indicated that it was a serious threat.
The anonymous call was over ten minutes long and the report says that the caller provided "considerable detail and was engaged in conversation for at least 10 minutes".
According to the Ombudsman, "Some assessment and very limited action was taken on the anonymous information in the days immediately after its receipt by the RUC."
Moreover, the report showed that Special branch failed to identify 'available intelligence' held in respect of one those 'D' named in the call, nor did they follow up on information which showed that a person identified as 'E' had strong connections to republican paramilitaries.
James Baxter, the Sub-Divisional Commander was not informed about the anonymous call on 4th August until 15th August 2000, two years after the bomb, despite the fact that a massive investigation had been launched after the atrocity.
There was a direct breach of regulations which require that the Sub-Divisional Commander be informed when a general threat is received so that appropriate action is taken. The Ombudsman reported that Special Branch should have warned the Sub Divisional Commander. The report indicated that the bomb could have been prevented from coming to Omagh if police had mounted road blocks.
The Ombudsman reported, "Had reaction to such a warning been to establish vehicle checkpoints the bombers may have been deterred", however, Mr Baxter indicated that, even if he had been informed of the threat, he would not have set up vehicle checkpoints, rather, he would have taken alternative action.
People identified by the anonymous caller on August 4 as C,D,E and F have not been investigated nor had their roles in the Omagh bomb been considered prior to September 3, 2001.
Nor has there been any investigation in relation to the handling by Special Branch of the anonymous call as recommended by the reviewing officer in the Omagh Bomb Review Report.
Mrs O'Loan concluded, "The police Ombudsman is firmly of the view that this significant information was not handled correctly.
"It is not possible to say what impact other action between 4 August 1998 and 15 August 1998 would have had or whether action other than that taken by Special Branch could have prevented the Omagh Bomb."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0914
Published Date: 10-Jan-02
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