VICE-CHAIR TELLS RELATIVE HE WILL RESIGN IF JUSTICE DOESN'T PREVAIL
Vice chair tells relative he will resign if justice doesn't prevail
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
The Vice chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board told the husband of one of those murdered in the blast that he would resign from the Board if the investigation into the behaviour of the before and after the blast in Omagh did not achieve a result satisfactory to the families.
Lawrence Rush, whose wife, Libby, was one of thirty one people who perished in the attack, on 15th August 1998, said Denis Bradley intimated to him that if the first inquiry by the Board did not establish the truth, he would not be party to further inquiries and would resign from the Policing Board.
As to a number of points raised in the Ombudsman's report, Mr Rush stressed his belief that the bomb could have been prevented if police had acted on information received.
"I would say without any hesitation that this bomb was allowed to come through. This bomb had the intention of destroying the republican movement or to reinforce the actual peace process. No matter what theory you go by this bomb was allowed to go through and kill my wife. I have questioned the motive for this bomb from the very start."
He said that on the day of the blast only three policemen were available to take charge of the carnival that was to go through the town and that the British army was confined to barracks prior to the blast. Developing the point, he suggested that those plotting it had an even greater atrocity in mind than that which transpired.
Mr Rush said that, at the meeting with the Board, when he inquired as to what authority the Board had to deal with the matter, the DUP's Sammy Wilson (incredulous that he was asked his name) said that, as the employing body, the Police Service would listen to the Board.
However, when asked how many people on the Board had been through the type of trauma faced by the Omagh families, it emerged that none of the board members at the meeting had been through that type of trauma. Mr Rush questioned their ability to understand the situation prevailing amongst the families. Furthermore, he said he believed that Ronnie Flanagan was steering the Police Board.
He accused the Board of naivete and said that, other than Mr Bradley, who had extensive experience in dealing with the Bloody Sunday atrocity, none of the other members of the Board were qualified to sit on it. Indeed, he said that throughout the meeting the Board members seemed 'tired, jaded, and disinterested, from the first moment.'
While the Board's Chairman intimated that members were considering some three hundred pages of documentation surrounding the affair, Mr Rush, was concerned that the Board was not considering the internal 'McVicker' report, which was so damning of Special Branch that it was quashed.
A long-time campaigner for justice for the victims' of Omagh Mr Rush said the families wanted questions framed in the context of the O'Loan document and reiterated that only 78per cent of the officers had co-operated with the report and of the remaining 22 per cent who were reticent the majority came from Special Branch.
He said that he personally made it clear that he rejected Ronnie Flanagan's "affable approach, where he bluffs and blunders does a PR job, delegates and does not answer questions."
He expressed a vote of no confidence in the Policing Board's ability to oversee an investigation of the police handling of the affair and said that an independent investigator, perhaps from the UK, but with no remit to report to the security services or Special Branch.
"Special Branch should be completely cleaned out. There are people in there who seem to be a law onto themselves. They have nobody to answer to, including Mr Flanagan."
Concluding Mr Rush said that he will not settle for anything short of complete openness and honesty in respect of the handling of the Omagh bomb by the RUC/PSNI.
BY ADRIAN MULLAN
The Vice chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board told the husband of one of those murdered in the blast that he would resign from the Board if the investigation into the behaviour of the before and after the blast in Omagh did not achieve a result satisfactory to the families.
Lawrence Rush, whose wife, Libby, was one of thirty one people who perished in the attack, on 15th August 1998, said Denis Bradley intimated to him that if the first inquiry by the Board did not establish the truth, he would not be party to further inquiries and would resign from the Policing Board.
As to a number of points raised in the Ombudsman's report, Mr Rush stressed his belief that the bomb could have been prevented if police had acted on information received.
"I would say without any hesitation that this bomb was allowed to come through. This bomb had the intention of destroying the republican movement or to reinforce the actual peace process. No matter what theory you go by this bomb was allowed to go through and kill my wife. I have questioned the motive for this bomb from the very start."
He said that on the day of the blast only three policemen were available to take charge of the carnival that was to go through the town and that the British army was confined to barracks prior to the blast. Developing the point, he suggested that those plotting it had an even greater atrocity in mind than that which transpired.
Mr Rush said that, at the meeting with the Board, when he inquired as to what authority the Board had to deal with the matter, the DUP's Sammy Wilson (incredulous that he was asked his name) said that, as the employing body, the Police Service would listen to the Board.
However, when asked how many people on the Board had been through the type of trauma faced by the Omagh families, it emerged that none of the board members at the meeting had been through that type of trauma. Mr Rush questioned their ability to understand the situation prevailing amongst the families. Furthermore, he said he believed that Ronnie Flanagan was steering the Police Board.
He accused the Board of naivete and said that, other than Mr Bradley, who had extensive experience in dealing with the Bloody Sunday atrocity, none of the other members of the Board were qualified to sit on it. Indeed, he said that throughout the meeting the Board members seemed 'tired, jaded, and disinterested, from the first moment.'
While the Board's Chairman intimated that members were considering some three hundred pages of documentation surrounding the affair, Mr Rush, was concerned that the Board was not considering the internal 'McVicker' report, which was so damning of Special Branch that it was quashed.
A long-time campaigner for justice for the victims' of Omagh Mr Rush said the families wanted questions framed in the context of the O'Loan document and reiterated that only 78per cent of the officers had co-operated with the report and of the remaining 22 per cent who were reticent the majority came from Special Branch.
He said that he personally made it clear that he rejected Ronnie Flanagan's "affable approach, where he bluffs and blunders does a PR job, delegates and does not answer questions."
He expressed a vote of no confidence in the Policing Board's ability to oversee an investigation of the police handling of the affair and said that an independent investigator, perhaps from the UK, but with no remit to report to the security services or Special Branch.
"Special Branch should be completely cleaned out. There are people in there who seem to be a law onto themselves. They have nobody to answer to, including Mr Flanagan."
Concluding Mr Rush said that he will not settle for anything short of complete openness and honesty in respect of the handling of the Omagh bomb by the RUC/PSNI.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0941
Published Date: 31-Jan-02
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