WE KNOW THE NAMES OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BOMB
We know the names of those responsible for the bombing
TWO years after the Omagh bombing there still remains a large volume of work to be done, the senior officer heading the investigation into the Omagh atrocity revealed earlier this week.
RUC Acting Assistant Chief Constable Eric Anderson said that despite a total of 81 arrests being made in the hunt for the bombers and the 'Godfathers who sent them out', the investigation was active and being pursued as vigorously as ever.
He disclosed at the Omagh Inquests, that police were aware of the identity of the entire team responsible for the Omagh bombing - the worst single act of violence in 30 years of troubles in Northern Ireland. The investigation has also identified that the same unit of Real IRA, responsible for the Omagh bomb, as being responsible for a number of other bombs.
Although the bomb was made in Co Louth in the South, Northern Ireland also had an input on the atrocity, said the Assistant Chief Constable.
The investigation run jointly with An Garda Siochana resulted in 81 arrests to date by both the Garda and the RUC "in an effort of apprehend the bombers and the Godfathers who sent them out to do the bombing," he told the hearing.
Fifty-eight arrests were effected by the Garda and 23 by the RUC.
Currently one person is charged with conspiracy to bomb and another person has been reported to the DPP in the republic regarding the theft of the car used in the bombing.
The senior officer also revealed that 237 videos, several tourist files as well as border crossing footage of security cameras were also looked at during the investigation.
Members of the bomb Squad in London had also sent their expertise, said the Assistant Chief Constable.
He revealed these comprised officers of great experience from a number of Constabularies, who came to NI with their specialised equipment to assist in the investigation.
Mr Anderson also told the court that in the course of the police ongoing investigation 6,500 people had been interviewed, 3,500 homes and premises visited, 2,700 statements recorded and 5,200 actions were generated from the enquiry.
He also told of a Special Review Team being set up in April to examine the work done by the investigation since the murders.
"This team is in liaison with Senior Investigating Officers from England and the Officer of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary who regularly advise and oversee the review," he said.
He explained the purpose of the review was for officers not involved in the original investigation to examine the work, line of enquiry and the conduct of the early enquiry to ensure that nothing had been missed, thoroughness and accountability.
Giving an update on the proceedings, he said the investigation is "active and ongoing."
He revealed that the Review would report some time in October when all its recommendations would be taken on board.
"There is still a large volume of work to be done, which is ongoing. Liaison with Garda continues on the enquiry," he said.
He also revealed the investigation had identified that the same unit of Real IRA was responsible for the Omagh tragedy was also responsible for a number of other bombs.
Earlier Mr. Anderson said the bomb was claimed by the dissident Real IRA, who in the aftermath, issued a statement from Dublin.
The statement read; "This is about the explosion, this is Oglaigh Na h'Eireann, there were three warnings put in, there were 40 minutes warning on each of them, two to UTV and one to the Samaritans in Coleraine. Each time the call was made it was very clear and the people talked back. The location was 300-400 yards from the Courthouse on the Main Street. At no time was it said it was near the Courthouse. It was a commercial target. Despite media reports, it was not our intention at any time to kill any civilians. It was a commercial target, part of the ongoing war against the Brits. We offer apologies to the civilians."
Mr Anderson was later questioned by legal teams representing the families of the bereaved.
Asked if he was aware of who made up the entire team involved in planning and carrying out the bombing, he replied "there is a good background knowledge as a result of the investigation, that is correct."
He was also questioned about whether the video footage enabled him to identify the car bomb or the getaway vehicle crossing the border. He told the Coroner: "I would prefer to reserve that at this stage."
Questioned about the RUC knowledge of specific areas to be cleared as a result of bomb warnings, Mr. Anderson said control rooms were staffed by the most experienced officers who would have collected an immense amount of local knowledge.
He said in his opinion the danger zone would have been centred on a point 200 yards from the Courthouse based on the information officers had been given.
Asked who was the police officer in charge on the ground that day, he replied it was Sergeant Marshall who was the most senior officer and he was currently awaiting promotion to an Inspector.
The coroner asked about the evacuation process and said he was aware there was only one police vehicle with a public address system.
Mr. Anderson said he could not comment on that, but pointed out that there was strong evidence suggesting that public address systems could cause much more panic on the street. He felt that in a parochial town such as Omagh, personal contact was much more credible than a police vehicle going down the street shouting out a warning on the address system.
He added at this time it was genuinely accepted "we were in a period of peace" with a carnival going on at the time.
"Police on the street is highly regarded as an effective means of clearing an area," he said.
He agreed with Counsel for one of the bereaved families that the people who parked the car bomb were probably the people who started the sequence of bomb warnings.
Mr. Anderson added they knew where it was parked and they left the car in a street which was quite busy with women and children looking for school uniforms.
Witness added that the number plates on the car were manufactured for the vehicle.
It would have been better for the people of Omagh, he said, if they had given the registration number and the colour of the car.
Referring to the typical terrorist situation, he explained, you have the doers and the organisers.
There would have been a number of people who sat in the background, giving out instruction and not getting their hands dirty - like a mafia situation, he said.
The police Chief was giving his evidence on the penultimate day of the main hearing.
Also presiding at the Inquest as an observer was Irish Police Detective Superintendent Tadgh Foley.
The Garda had earlier refused to send officers to testify citing fears that such a move might compromise the sole prosecution arising from the investigation.
BEREAVED FAMILIES MEET CHIEFS OF THE CROSS-BORDER INQUIRY
Later that afternoon a number of the bereaved relatives met Mr. Anderson and Mr. Foley taking hope from being assured that the investigation was being pursued as vigorously as ever.
Stanley McCombe said "I would imagine that somewhere along the line the perpetrators of Omagh are going to be brought to justice."
Michael Gallagher made an appeal to the Republican community and the population at large to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He said it was totally unbelievable that "we can have an atrocity of this size and no-one is brought to justice."
He added "we cannot leave it up to police officers and Government. Everyone in the community has a responsibility to see that justice is done."
On leaving the hearing Mr. Anderson said "it has been a traumatic four weeks not only for the people of Omagh but for the hospital services, emergency services, fire and the police."
"We have virtually had to relive Omagh," he said.
TWO years after the Omagh bombing there still remains a large volume of work to be done, the senior officer heading the investigation into the Omagh atrocity revealed earlier this week.
RUC Acting Assistant Chief Constable Eric Anderson said that despite a total of 81 arrests being made in the hunt for the bombers and the 'Godfathers who sent them out', the investigation was active and being pursued as vigorously as ever.
He disclosed at the Omagh Inquests, that police were aware of the identity of the entire team responsible for the Omagh bombing - the worst single act of violence in 30 years of troubles in Northern Ireland. The investigation has also identified that the same unit of Real IRA, responsible for the Omagh bomb, as being responsible for a number of other bombs.
Although the bomb was made in Co Louth in the South, Northern Ireland also had an input on the atrocity, said the Assistant Chief Constable.
The investigation run jointly with An Garda Siochana resulted in 81 arrests to date by both the Garda and the RUC "in an effort of apprehend the bombers and the Godfathers who sent them out to do the bombing," he told the hearing.
Fifty-eight arrests were effected by the Garda and 23 by the RUC.
Currently one person is charged with conspiracy to bomb and another person has been reported to the DPP in the republic regarding the theft of the car used in the bombing.
The senior officer also revealed that 237 videos, several tourist files as well as border crossing footage of security cameras were also looked at during the investigation.
Members of the bomb Squad in London had also sent their expertise, said the Assistant Chief Constable.
He revealed these comprised officers of great experience from a number of Constabularies, who came to NI with their specialised equipment to assist in the investigation.
Mr Anderson also told the court that in the course of the police ongoing investigation 6,500 people had been interviewed, 3,500 homes and premises visited, 2,700 statements recorded and 5,200 actions were generated from the enquiry.
He also told of a Special Review Team being set up in April to examine the work done by the investigation since the murders.
"This team is in liaison with Senior Investigating Officers from England and the Officer of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary who regularly advise and oversee the review," he said.
He explained the purpose of the review was for officers not involved in the original investigation to examine the work, line of enquiry and the conduct of the early enquiry to ensure that nothing had been missed, thoroughness and accountability.
Giving an update on the proceedings, he said the investigation is "active and ongoing."
He revealed that the Review would report some time in October when all its recommendations would be taken on board.
"There is still a large volume of work to be done, which is ongoing. Liaison with Garda continues on the enquiry," he said.
He also revealed the investigation had identified that the same unit of Real IRA was responsible for the Omagh tragedy was also responsible for a number of other bombs.
Earlier Mr. Anderson said the bomb was claimed by the dissident Real IRA, who in the aftermath, issued a statement from Dublin.
The statement read; "This is about the explosion, this is Oglaigh Na h'Eireann, there were three warnings put in, there were 40 minutes warning on each of them, two to UTV and one to the Samaritans in Coleraine. Each time the call was made it was very clear and the people talked back. The location was 300-400 yards from the Courthouse on the Main Street. At no time was it said it was near the Courthouse. It was a commercial target. Despite media reports, it was not our intention at any time to kill any civilians. It was a commercial target, part of the ongoing war against the Brits. We offer apologies to the civilians."
Mr Anderson was later questioned by legal teams representing the families of the bereaved.
Asked if he was aware of who made up the entire team involved in planning and carrying out the bombing, he replied "there is a good background knowledge as a result of the investigation, that is correct."
He was also questioned about whether the video footage enabled him to identify the car bomb or the getaway vehicle crossing the border. He told the Coroner: "I would prefer to reserve that at this stage."
Questioned about the RUC knowledge of specific areas to be cleared as a result of bomb warnings, Mr. Anderson said control rooms were staffed by the most experienced officers who would have collected an immense amount of local knowledge.
He said in his opinion the danger zone would have been centred on a point 200 yards from the Courthouse based on the information officers had been given.
Asked who was the police officer in charge on the ground that day, he replied it was Sergeant Marshall who was the most senior officer and he was currently awaiting promotion to an Inspector.
The coroner asked about the evacuation process and said he was aware there was only one police vehicle with a public address system.
Mr. Anderson said he could not comment on that, but pointed out that there was strong evidence suggesting that public address systems could cause much more panic on the street. He felt that in a parochial town such as Omagh, personal contact was much more credible than a police vehicle going down the street shouting out a warning on the address system.
He added at this time it was genuinely accepted "we were in a period of peace" with a carnival going on at the time.
"Police on the street is highly regarded as an effective means of clearing an area," he said.
He agreed with Counsel for one of the bereaved families that the people who parked the car bomb were probably the people who started the sequence of bomb warnings.
Mr. Anderson added they knew where it was parked and they left the car in a street which was quite busy with women and children looking for school uniforms.
Witness added that the number plates on the car were manufactured for the vehicle.
It would have been better for the people of Omagh, he said, if they had given the registration number and the colour of the car.
Referring to the typical terrorist situation, he explained, you have the doers and the organisers.
There would have been a number of people who sat in the background, giving out instruction and not getting their hands dirty - like a mafia situation, he said.
The police Chief was giving his evidence on the penultimate day of the main hearing.
Also presiding at the Inquest as an observer was Irish Police Detective Superintendent Tadgh Foley.
The Garda had earlier refused to send officers to testify citing fears that such a move might compromise the sole prosecution arising from the investigation.
BEREAVED FAMILIES MEET CHIEFS OF THE CROSS-BORDER INQUIRY
Later that afternoon a number of the bereaved relatives met Mr. Anderson and Mr. Foley taking hope from being assured that the investigation was being pursued as vigorously as ever.
Stanley McCombe said "I would imagine that somewhere along the line the perpetrators of Omagh are going to be brought to justice."
Michael Gallagher made an appeal to the Republican community and the population at large to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He said it was totally unbelievable that "we can have an atrocity of this size and no-one is brought to justice."
He added "we cannot leave it up to police officers and Government. Everyone in the community has a responsibility to see that justice is done."
On leaving the hearing Mr. Anderson said "it has been a traumatic four weeks not only for the people of Omagh but for the hospital services, emergency services, fire and the police."
"We have virtually had to relive Omagh," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1493
Published Date: 05-Oct-00
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