PSNI AND GARDAI DENY RIFT OVER OMAGH BOMB
PSNI and gardai deny rift over Omagh bomb
BY JACQUELINE COURTNEY
SECURITY forces on both sides of the border have rejected reports of a rift over access to a key witness in connection with the cross-border investigations into the 1998 Omagh bombing.
But the joint denials were ridiculed by Omagh relative, Michael Gallagher who said the snub to the PSNI Inquiry team made nonsense of the claims there was now unprecedented co-operation between the two police forces in Ireland.
An angry Mr Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among the 31 people killed in the bomb, said the fact the PSNI's repeated requests to interview the key witness, Paddy Dixon, have been turned down spoke 'volumes about the talk about cross-border co-operation'.
He said part of the truth surrounding the Omagh bomb was sitting on Michael McDowell, the Justice Minister's desk and 'he refuses to publish it
"That report will never see the light of day as it is damaging enough to bring down the Government," alleged Mr Gallagher
He claimed the key witness, Paddy Dixon had direct links to four bombs in Northern Ireland in particular and Gardai would have had varying degrees of intelligence on these bomb attacks and would have passed those on to their colleagues to the RUC.
"As a result of this, one of those bombs killed 31 people. If this had happened in Germany or France or Canada or the United States there would be an international row." And he asked "What is happening in this country? Why aren't the politicians jumping up and down and calling for action. This is a shocking case in which collusion was involved and no one is batting an eyelid over it."
He referred to a number of murders which occurred, after the Omagh travesty all of which had been resolved through criminal proceedings. He found it extremely difficult to comprehend that, with the volumes of information about the people who committed the Omagh bombing, that 'not one person has been charged with murder.'
He continued: "Surely that must be a scandal. I do not know how the people of Omagh feel about this. I don't know whether they have just said 'well let's get on with our lives and put it behind us.'
"But I do know we are no further on today than we were on 15 August l998," said a bewildered Mr Gallagher.
Putting his qualms into perspective, Mr Gallagher referred to the two Bloody Sunday Inquiries for the 13 people who died in Derry and pointed out that '35 miles up the road where 31 people died, there hasn't even been one public inquiry into what happened'.
"So many people knew about Omagh but decided to do nothing.
None of the politicians have come out to demand the truth about Omagh. I think the people of Omagh, and particularly the families who have suffered and the people of Ireland, deserve to know the truth.
NEVER SEE LIGHT OF DAY
"Part of that truth is sitting on Michael McDowell, the Justice Minister's desk right now and he refuses to publish it. That report will never see the light of day as it is damaging enough to bring down the government. That's where the problem is. British and Gardai intelligence knew a lot more than what they came out and told the people of Omagh. This would never have happened in any other democratic country in the world and why should it happen here?
Meanwhile it was suggested that the serious cross-border rift had initially developed between the two police forces over the refusal by Gardai to make the key witness available to PSNI detectives.
The Gardai confirmed this week that requests had been received by the Garda Siochana from the PSNI for assistance to facilitate an interview with Witness X to a statement, the force said the requests had been passed on through Witness X's legal representatives for him and that a response was awaited. The statement added: "The Garda Siochana have always been anxious to have all requests for interviews complied with by those who wish to carry them out, however the Gardai cannot compel compliance by the person known as Witness X."
The statement added that Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy wished to point out 'in the strongest terms possible' that the Garda Siochana enjoyed an 'excellent relationship' with the PSNI and the relationship had been cemented further with the implementation of the Patten Report.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said relations with their southern counterparts were 'extremely healthy.'
The Police Service of NI believe this man could be a significant witness and have made a number of requests to his legal adviser for him to be made available for interview. "We will continue to do so," she said.
"We are grateful to the Gardai for their continued co-operation on the Omagh investigation and other investigations.
Dixon, a master car thief who infiltrated the Real IRA for the Gardai, is now living in Europe under a state witness protection scheme. So far he has not been a witness in any case connected to the Omagh bomb or other Real IRA activities.
The Observer newspaper recently obtained a 54-page transcript of a taped conversation between Dixon and his Garda handler, Detective Sergeant John White. In the recording, made only days before he was forced to flee Ireland, Dixon warns the Irish government that "Omagh is going to blow up in their faces". The tape also includes Dixon's claim that 'they (the Real IRA) had got a car and they (the Gardai) knew it was moving, they knew it was moving within 24 hours at that stage'.
Between February 1998 and the Omagh bomb seven months later Dixon provided intelligence on nine different Real IRA 'operations'. He organised the theft of cars, which were then used to transport bombs and rockets from the Irish Republic into Northern Ireland.
BY JACQUELINE COURTNEY
SECURITY forces on both sides of the border have rejected reports of a rift over access to a key witness in connection with the cross-border investigations into the 1998 Omagh bombing.
But the joint denials were ridiculed by Omagh relative, Michael Gallagher who said the snub to the PSNI Inquiry team made nonsense of the claims there was now unprecedented co-operation between the two police forces in Ireland.
An angry Mr Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among the 31 people killed in the bomb, said the fact the PSNI's repeated requests to interview the key witness, Paddy Dixon, have been turned down spoke 'volumes about the talk about cross-border co-operation'.
He said part of the truth surrounding the Omagh bomb was sitting on Michael McDowell, the Justice Minister's desk and 'he refuses to publish it
"That report will never see the light of day as it is damaging enough to bring down the Government," alleged Mr Gallagher
He claimed the key witness, Paddy Dixon had direct links to four bombs in Northern Ireland in particular and Gardai would have had varying degrees of intelligence on these bomb attacks and would have passed those on to their colleagues to the RUC.
"As a result of this, one of those bombs killed 31 people. If this had happened in Germany or France or Canada or the United States there would be an international row." And he asked "What is happening in this country? Why aren't the politicians jumping up and down and calling for action. This is a shocking case in which collusion was involved and no one is batting an eyelid over it."
He referred to a number of murders which occurred, after the Omagh travesty all of which had been resolved through criminal proceedings. He found it extremely difficult to comprehend that, with the volumes of information about the people who committed the Omagh bombing, that 'not one person has been charged with murder.'
He continued: "Surely that must be a scandal. I do not know how the people of Omagh feel about this. I don't know whether they have just said 'well let's get on with our lives and put it behind us.'
"But I do know we are no further on today than we were on 15 August l998," said a bewildered Mr Gallagher.
Putting his qualms into perspective, Mr Gallagher referred to the two Bloody Sunday Inquiries for the 13 people who died in Derry and pointed out that '35 miles up the road where 31 people died, there hasn't even been one public inquiry into what happened'.
"So many people knew about Omagh but decided to do nothing.
None of the politicians have come out to demand the truth about Omagh. I think the people of Omagh, and particularly the families who have suffered and the people of Ireland, deserve to know the truth.
NEVER SEE LIGHT OF DAY
"Part of that truth is sitting on Michael McDowell, the Justice Minister's desk right now and he refuses to publish it. That report will never see the light of day as it is damaging enough to bring down the government. That's where the problem is. British and Gardai intelligence knew a lot more than what they came out and told the people of Omagh. This would never have happened in any other democratic country in the world and why should it happen here?
Meanwhile it was suggested that the serious cross-border rift had initially developed between the two police forces over the refusal by Gardai to make the key witness available to PSNI detectives.
The Gardai confirmed this week that requests had been received by the Garda Siochana from the PSNI for assistance to facilitate an interview with Witness X to a statement, the force said the requests had been passed on through Witness X's legal representatives for him and that a response was awaited. The statement added: "The Garda Siochana have always been anxious to have all requests for interviews complied with by those who wish to carry them out, however the Gardai cannot compel compliance by the person known as Witness X."
The statement added that Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy wished to point out 'in the strongest terms possible' that the Garda Siochana enjoyed an 'excellent relationship' with the PSNI and the relationship had been cemented further with the implementation of the Patten Report.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said relations with their southern counterparts were 'extremely healthy.'
The Police Service of NI believe this man could be a significant witness and have made a number of requests to his legal adviser for him to be made available for interview. "We will continue to do so," she said.
"We are grateful to the Gardai for their continued co-operation on the Omagh investigation and other investigations.
Dixon, a master car thief who infiltrated the Real IRA for the Gardai, is now living in Europe under a state witness protection scheme. So far he has not been a witness in any case connected to the Omagh bomb or other Real IRA activities.
The Observer newspaper recently obtained a 54-page transcript of a taped conversation between Dixon and his Garda handler, Detective Sergeant John White. In the recording, made only days before he was forced to flee Ireland, Dixon warns the Irish government that "Omagh is going to blow up in their faces". The tape also includes Dixon's claim that 'they (the Real IRA) had got a car and they (the Gardai) knew it was moving, they knew it was moving within 24 hours at that stage'.
Between February 1998 and the Omagh bomb seven months later Dixon provided intelligence on nine different Real IRA 'operations'. He organised the theft of cars, which were then used to transport bombs and rockets from the Irish Republic into Northern Ireland.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1621
Published Date: 13-Nov-03
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