GARDA UNDER FIRE IN NEW OMAGH REPORT
Garda under fire in new Omagh report
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
A NEW report drawn up by the Police Ombudsman's Office now suggests that the Garda Siochana could have prevented the Omagh bomb.
A deputy investigator from Nuala O'Loan's office recently drew up a document for the Irish Government entitled Report Raising Concerns About of the Activity of Garda Siochana Officers During 1998. It relates in shocking detail a story that is remarkably similar to the claims of the RUC Special Branch informer known as Kevin Fulton, who said he warned police about Omagh. The new report reveals that a source who spoke to Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's investigators said gardai had a reliable inside track on the activities of the Real IRA.
The report was prompted by a meeting between Michael Gallagher of the Omagh Victims Support Group and Ombudsman Office investigator Martin Bridger, a chief Inspector who formerly worked in the anti-corruption branch of London's Metropolitan Police.
Mr Gallagher urged the officer to meet a source from the Republic who had "an extraordinary story" to tell. The officer agreed, albeit reluctantly, because he does not have jurisdiction in the South.
He learned of a story which began back in 1985 when a Dublin teenager, arrested for criminal offences became an informer for the gardai, providing low-level intelligence about other criminals. His main crime was stealing cars and when the IRA asked him to steal a car, the gardai switched their attentions to the Republican paramilitary group's activities.
DESPERATE FOR INFORMATION
When a group of IRA dissidents walked out of the peace process and formed the Real IRA in 1997, the gardai were desperate for information about the new group. The informer known as Budget obliged and, during the first eight months of 1998, provided information on cars he was stealing for the Real IRA to use in bomb attacks in the North. On some occasions, the gardai allegedly bugged the cars with monitoring devices to determine where they were going.
With the stolen cars, the dissident RIRA group bombed Moira, Banbridge and Belleek. On each occasion, the gardai allegedly knew details on the make of the car, but did not notify the RUC. On one or two other occasions, the gardai swooped on the bomb car to make highly publicised arrests. Because of the Garda success, the Real IRA was getting suspicious. The group entrusted Budget with one final operation. On July 24,1998, he was asked to get a car for a bombing in two weeks time. On August 11 or August 12, gardai met in a Castleknock pub for about two hours and discussed whether the RIRA was setting a trap for Budget. They allegedly decided to let the car go through rather than seize it and put their informant in danger.
Chief Inspector Bridger says he was told by his source that some gardai were concerned about possible injuries: Less than two weeks previously, the RIRA bomb in Banbridge had injured 35 people. Budget was allegedly told to go ahead with the robbery but the RIRA cancelled the job. On August 14, the day before the Omagh bomb, Budget was told by the RIRA that a car had been found somewhere else. Following the massive explosion which rocked Omagh, Budget was told he would have to be arrested in a round-up of suspect thieves who may have supplied the stolen car used in the bombing. He was allegedly assured that he would not be charged. Seven others were charged but the State later dropped the charges.
The source quoted in the Ombudsman's Office report said that Budget had been told by his Kildare based RIRA contact that a deal had been done with the Government and the charges dropped in exchange for an RIRA ceasefire. Both the informant and his contact are still at large. Budget is living in hiding under the protection of the State.
The report's content, meanwhile, appears to have damaged relations between members of the two investigating police forces. An officer connected to the Omagh investigation said, "They were letting attacks go ahead in Northern Ireland without passing information to us. It was despicable, letting terrorists run around up here, carrying out operations just so they could prolong their moment in the sun."
He said the information the gardai allegedly had in advance of the Omagh bombing, combined with the information provided by Kevin Fulton, could have prevented the atrocity.
The Garda have since tried to dismiss the story as untrue. They said, "Budget was a discredited individual, motivated by a serious grudge."
But the allegations he made have since sparked an internal inquiry into the top secret workings of the anti-terrorist unit of the Garda Siochana in the run up.to August 15 in Omagh.
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
A NEW report drawn up by the Police Ombudsman's Office now suggests that the Garda Siochana could have prevented the Omagh bomb.
A deputy investigator from Nuala O'Loan's office recently drew up a document for the Irish Government entitled Report Raising Concerns About of the Activity of Garda Siochana Officers During 1998. It relates in shocking detail a story that is remarkably similar to the claims of the RUC Special Branch informer known as Kevin Fulton, who said he warned police about Omagh. The new report reveals that a source who spoke to Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's investigators said gardai had a reliable inside track on the activities of the Real IRA.
The report was prompted by a meeting between Michael Gallagher of the Omagh Victims Support Group and Ombudsman Office investigator Martin Bridger, a chief Inspector who formerly worked in the anti-corruption branch of London's Metropolitan Police.
Mr Gallagher urged the officer to meet a source from the Republic who had "an extraordinary story" to tell. The officer agreed, albeit reluctantly, because he does not have jurisdiction in the South.
He learned of a story which began back in 1985 when a Dublin teenager, arrested for criminal offences became an informer for the gardai, providing low-level intelligence about other criminals. His main crime was stealing cars and when the IRA asked him to steal a car, the gardai switched their attentions to the Republican paramilitary group's activities.
DESPERATE FOR INFORMATION
When a group of IRA dissidents walked out of the peace process and formed the Real IRA in 1997, the gardai were desperate for information about the new group. The informer known as Budget obliged and, during the first eight months of 1998, provided information on cars he was stealing for the Real IRA to use in bomb attacks in the North. On some occasions, the gardai allegedly bugged the cars with monitoring devices to determine where they were going.
With the stolen cars, the dissident RIRA group bombed Moira, Banbridge and Belleek. On each occasion, the gardai allegedly knew details on the make of the car, but did not notify the RUC. On one or two other occasions, the gardai swooped on the bomb car to make highly publicised arrests. Because of the Garda success, the Real IRA was getting suspicious. The group entrusted Budget with one final operation. On July 24,1998, he was asked to get a car for a bombing in two weeks time. On August 11 or August 12, gardai met in a Castleknock pub for about two hours and discussed whether the RIRA was setting a trap for Budget. They allegedly decided to let the car go through rather than seize it and put their informant in danger.
Chief Inspector Bridger says he was told by his source that some gardai were concerned about possible injuries: Less than two weeks previously, the RIRA bomb in Banbridge had injured 35 people. Budget was allegedly told to go ahead with the robbery but the RIRA cancelled the job. On August 14, the day before the Omagh bomb, Budget was told by the RIRA that a car had been found somewhere else. Following the massive explosion which rocked Omagh, Budget was told he would have to be arrested in a round-up of suspect thieves who may have supplied the stolen car used in the bombing. He was allegedly assured that he would not be charged. Seven others were charged but the State later dropped the charges.
The source quoted in the Ombudsman's Office report said that Budget had been told by his Kildare based RIRA contact that a deal had been done with the Government and the charges dropped in exchange for an RIRA ceasefire. Both the informant and his contact are still at large. Budget is living in hiding under the protection of the State.
The report's content, meanwhile, appears to have damaged relations between members of the two investigating police forces. An officer connected to the Omagh investigation said, "They were letting attacks go ahead in Northern Ireland without passing information to us. It was despicable, letting terrorists run around up here, carrying out operations just so they could prolong their moment in the sun."
He said the information the gardai allegedly had in advance of the Omagh bombing, combined with the information provided by Kevin Fulton, could have prevented the atrocity.
The Garda have since tried to dismiss the story as untrue. They said, "Budget was a discredited individual, motivated by a serious grudge."
But the allegations he made have since sparked an internal inquiry into the top secret workings of the anti-terrorist unit of the Garda Siochana in the run up.to August 15 in Omagh.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1110
Published Date: 24-Oct-02
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