FAMILIES TELL BLUNKETT OF THEIR LACK OF FAITH
Families tell Blunkett of their lack of faith
BY JOHN McCUSKER
THE families of those injured and killed in the Omagh bomb met with the Home Secretary last Thursday and told him that they were very disillusioned with the investigation.
In a half hour meeting with David Blunkett at the Home Office in London, relatives told him that they felt let down by assurances that the two governments and their police forces were working closely together to bring the Real IRA bombers to justice.
The group spelt out their grievances centring on claims that the Irish Special Branch failed to pass on to their colleagues north of the border information that might have thwarted the atrocities.
The families told the home secretary that they had intelligence supplied by a serving detective sergeant in the Garda who told them police knew four days before Omagh that an active terrorist unit was trying to acquire a car in which to plant a bomb in Northern Ireland.
This intelligence was not passed to the then Royal Ulster Constabulary, It is claimed.
NO CO-OPERATION
Speaking after the meeting, Victor Barker, whose son James was among those killed in the bombing, said he believed so-called co-operation between the two governments and the police to bring the Real IRA suspects to justice "was a lie".
He said that in the aftermath of the atrocity, both governments and police in the UK and the Republic "continually reassured us" that there was no specific intelligence before the bombing and that police on both sides of the border were co-operating fully to track down the perpetrators.
"We now believe that this was a lie and we in the communities north and south have been deceived," he said.
"Significant action and leadership is now required from both governments if we, the people of both communities, are ever to have the belief that a full, transparent, joint investigation is to take place where politics and religion play no part in the search for the evidence that will bring these evil people to justice."
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed at Omagh, said Mr Blunkett had "just listened" to the group
"You could see that he was moved by what we had to say, but he didn't comment in any way," he said. The government is now aware of our position. It's now up to them to prove to us that they can do something about it."
A panel of three former senior civil servants has been set up in the Republic to examine allegations about the Omagh bomb investigation.
But Kevin Skelton, whose wife was killed, said: "You are going to get the answers that suit the Garda down south, it's not independent at all," he said.
Last week, Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan met Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowan to discuss the claims.
A statement from the ombudsman's office said information had come from a Garda officer about events leading up to the atrocity.
It said the material related to matters in the Republic and had been passed to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.
BY JOHN McCUSKER
THE families of those injured and killed in the Omagh bomb met with the Home Secretary last Thursday and told him that they were very disillusioned with the investigation.
In a half hour meeting with David Blunkett at the Home Office in London, relatives told him that they felt let down by assurances that the two governments and their police forces were working closely together to bring the Real IRA bombers to justice.
The group spelt out their grievances centring on claims that the Irish Special Branch failed to pass on to their colleagues north of the border information that might have thwarted the atrocities.
The families told the home secretary that they had intelligence supplied by a serving detective sergeant in the Garda who told them police knew four days before Omagh that an active terrorist unit was trying to acquire a car in which to plant a bomb in Northern Ireland.
This intelligence was not passed to the then Royal Ulster Constabulary, It is claimed.
NO CO-OPERATION
Speaking after the meeting, Victor Barker, whose son James was among those killed in the bombing, said he believed so-called co-operation between the two governments and the police to bring the Real IRA suspects to justice "was a lie".
He said that in the aftermath of the atrocity, both governments and police in the UK and the Republic "continually reassured us" that there was no specific intelligence before the bombing and that police on both sides of the border were co-operating fully to track down the perpetrators.
"We now believe that this was a lie and we in the communities north and south have been deceived," he said.
"Significant action and leadership is now required from both governments if we, the people of both communities, are ever to have the belief that a full, transparent, joint investigation is to take place where politics and religion play no part in the search for the evidence that will bring these evil people to justice."
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed at Omagh, said Mr Blunkett had "just listened" to the group
"You could see that he was moved by what we had to say, but he didn't comment in any way," he said. The government is now aware of our position. It's now up to them to prove to us that they can do something about it."
A panel of three former senior civil servants has been set up in the Republic to examine allegations about the Omagh bomb investigation.
But Kevin Skelton, whose wife was killed, said: "You are going to get the answers that suit the Garda down south, it's not independent at all," he said.
Last week, Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan met Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowan to discuss the claims.
A statement from the ombudsman's office said information had come from a Garda officer about events leading up to the atrocity.
It said the material related to matters in the Republic and had been passed to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1020
Published Date: 16-May-02
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