FLANAGAN MEETING KICKS OFF ON SOUR NOTE
Flanagan meeting kicks off on sour note
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
EVEN before Sir Ronnie Flanagan's meeting with the families of the Omagh bomb victims this morning, (Thursday), the police chiefs choice of chairman had already raised the hackles of those attending.
The "independent chairman" of the meeting at Omagh's Silverbirch Hotel is Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, head of the Victims Commission, who was presented as a neutral person.
However, Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Victims Support Group, says he does not believe he is neutral.
"We are not that happy with the choice of chairman. We do not feel he has done a lot for the victims and he is more of a government man," said Mr Gallagher.
At his meeting with families of those killed and injured in the Omagh bomb, Ronnie Flanagan is attempting to answer the many criticisms levelled at him and his senior staff in the Police Ombudsman's Report.
The families will once again gather to hear painful details about the botched investigation in which no arrests have been made by police in the North.
Just over five weeks after Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan presented her findings to the families, when she sharply criticised the police handling of the investigation, the chief constable will put his side of the story.
After the initial outbursts, when he threatened to commit public suicide if any of the report was true, Mr Flanagan has been silent on the matter while he drew up an official response.
But this morning during the 2-3 hours meeting with the families, the chief constable is expected to make a presentation detailing everything which happened before and after the bomb on August 15,1998. It is believed that the families will hear facts which previously have not been disclosed.
This week, prior to presenting the 26-page report to the families, Mr Flanagan submitted copies to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Secretary of State.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan has prepared two documents rebutting the report in which he says that the police service had "nothing to hide about its conduct of the Omagh investigation and is more than ready to take any steps to reassure the public".
In an 87-page document, Sir Ronnie covers what he calls "significant factual inaccuracies, misunderstandings, material omissions and unwarranted assumptions".
A second paper covers the ombudsman's six recommendations on the way forward.
Sir Ronnie will tell the relatives that a senior detective from Merseyside will be appointed to act as an adviser and that he will have unrestricted access to all material requested.
He will advise Detective Superintent Brian McArthur who is heading the investigation. Part of his role will be to ensure that all relevant recommendations are appropriately addressed.
Since mid December, Ronnie Flanagan and his team have been going over every facet of the Ombudsman's Report and speaking to individuals involved with the bomb investigation.
Now he will have the chance to present to the Omagh families his version of what has happened in the past three years.
It is expected that he will reject out of hand the accusations levelled at him and his office by Nuala O'Loan about "failure of leadership" and "lack of urgency" and say that there is not a shred of evidence to sustain it.
It is believed that he will tell the famines that the information given by the RUC Special Branch informer known as Kevin Fulton could not have prevented the Omagh bomb. He will also insist that the other warnings taken at Omagh police station did not relate to the Omagh bomb Mr Flanagan is also likely to discuss Special Branch and put into context its work, its role and its involvement in the Omagh bomb investigation.
Although the chief constable's staff say they will be as "up-front" as possible about everything, there will be certain information which will not be going into the public domain.
"Every aspect of this has evidence to support it. This is not a series of assertions which we cannot stand over. We stand over everything that we put in," a PSNI spokesman said.
The spokesman went on to say that there have been stories about some families demanding detailed answers to certain questions.
"The chief constable and the team of experts he will have with him will do their utmost to answer all questions. However, there are very big questions for which there may be no definitive answer.
"Issues which will not be resolved by this meeting such as could police have prevented the Omagh bomb or will anyone ever stand trial before a Northern Ireland court for the bomb".
The McVicar Review of the Omagh bomb investigation will be discussed. Police believe that it has been taken out of context by the Police Ombudsman's office and they plan is to put it in context.
The families had said at the time they did not want to meet Ronnie Flanagan on their own, but they have now agreed to do so.
Following the meeting with the famines, the chief constable will hold a press conference at the Silverbirch hotel.
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
EVEN before Sir Ronnie Flanagan's meeting with the families of the Omagh bomb victims this morning, (Thursday), the police chiefs choice of chairman had already raised the hackles of those attending.
The "independent chairman" of the meeting at Omagh's Silverbirch Hotel is Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, head of the Victims Commission, who was presented as a neutral person.
However, Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Victims Support Group, says he does not believe he is neutral.
"We are not that happy with the choice of chairman. We do not feel he has done a lot for the victims and he is more of a government man," said Mr Gallagher.
At his meeting with families of those killed and injured in the Omagh bomb, Ronnie Flanagan is attempting to answer the many criticisms levelled at him and his senior staff in the Police Ombudsman's Report.
The families will once again gather to hear painful details about the botched investigation in which no arrests have been made by police in the North.
Just over five weeks after Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan presented her findings to the families, when she sharply criticised the police handling of the investigation, the chief constable will put his side of the story.
After the initial outbursts, when he threatened to commit public suicide if any of the report was true, Mr Flanagan has been silent on the matter while he drew up an official response.
But this morning during the 2-3 hours meeting with the families, the chief constable is expected to make a presentation detailing everything which happened before and after the bomb on August 15,1998. It is believed that the families will hear facts which previously have not been disclosed.
This week, prior to presenting the 26-page report to the families, Mr Flanagan submitted copies to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Secretary of State.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan has prepared two documents rebutting the report in which he says that the police service had "nothing to hide about its conduct of the Omagh investigation and is more than ready to take any steps to reassure the public".
In an 87-page document, Sir Ronnie covers what he calls "significant factual inaccuracies, misunderstandings, material omissions and unwarranted assumptions".
A second paper covers the ombudsman's six recommendations on the way forward.
Sir Ronnie will tell the relatives that a senior detective from Merseyside will be appointed to act as an adviser and that he will have unrestricted access to all material requested.
He will advise Detective Superintent Brian McArthur who is heading the investigation. Part of his role will be to ensure that all relevant recommendations are appropriately addressed.
Since mid December, Ronnie Flanagan and his team have been going over every facet of the Ombudsman's Report and speaking to individuals involved with the bomb investigation.
Now he will have the chance to present to the Omagh families his version of what has happened in the past three years.
It is expected that he will reject out of hand the accusations levelled at him and his office by Nuala O'Loan about "failure of leadership" and "lack of urgency" and say that there is not a shred of evidence to sustain it.
It is believed that he will tell the famines that the information given by the RUC Special Branch informer known as Kevin Fulton could not have prevented the Omagh bomb. He will also insist that the other warnings taken at Omagh police station did not relate to the Omagh bomb Mr Flanagan is also likely to discuss Special Branch and put into context its work, its role and its involvement in the Omagh bomb investigation.
Although the chief constable's staff say they will be as "up-front" as possible about everything, there will be certain information which will not be going into the public domain.
"Every aspect of this has evidence to support it. This is not a series of assertions which we cannot stand over. We stand over everything that we put in," a PSNI spokesman said.
The spokesman went on to say that there have been stories about some families demanding detailed answers to certain questions.
"The chief constable and the team of experts he will have with him will do their utmost to answer all questions. However, there are very big questions for which there may be no definitive answer.
"Issues which will not be resolved by this meeting such as could police have prevented the Omagh bomb or will anyone ever stand trial before a Northern Ireland court for the bomb".
The McVicar Review of the Omagh bomb investigation will be discussed. Police believe that it has been taken out of context by the Police Ombudsman's office and they plan is to put it in context.
The families had said at the time they did not want to meet Ronnie Flanagan on their own, but they have now agreed to do so.
Following the meeting with the famines, the chief constable will hold a press conference at the Silverbirch hotel.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0926
Published Date: 24-Jan-02
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