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News Letter

POLICE are following up reports of intimidation after a cervical cancer screening unit was told it “wasn’t welcome” in a republican area of Belfast because it was staffed by a sister of murdered Short Strand man Robert McCartney.
The driver of the bus was allegedly told the mobile clinic would not be welcome in the Markets area of south Belfast because Mr McCartney’s sister Gemma, who is a nurse, was part of the crew.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson yesterday told the Assembly that a member of Sinn Fein was involved in the incident.

Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey responded angrily to the allegations.

The South Belfast MLA said: “To set the record straight there was no member of Sinn Fein involved in any way, shape or form in any incident involving this cancer bus.

“It is disgraceful that anyone should seek to exploit this valuable community service to score cheap political points.”

DUP MLA for the area Jimmy Spratt and party health spokeswoman Iris Robinson met with senior PSNI officers in the area yesterday to discuss the issue. Mr Spratt said senior police officers reassured him they would be fully investigating the incident.

“The driver of the bus was told in an intimidating way that they were not welcome in the area because of the presence of Gemma McCartney,” he said.

“So far no official complaint has been made but the police have assured me that they will be in contact with Gemma McCartney and other people involved.

“We were concerned that there may have been political pressure brought to bear to stabilise the political process, but they have assured us that they will carry out any probe regardless of any consequences.

“It was a very positive meeting and we were reassured it would be properly dealt with.”

He said people who were being intimidated needed to come forward.

Mr Spratt said the incident could have serious repercussions: “The alleged involvement of a community leader, with close ties to Sinn Fein, raises questions over the support for law and order amongst some republicans in the Markets area.

“The McCartney family has suffered enough and certainly should not be subjected to intimidation like this.”

Mrs Robinson said: “The fight against cervical cancer in Northern Ireland is far too important an issue to be put at risk by the thuggish behaviour of some self-appointed community representative.

“The health of the Markets’ women should not be placed at risk in this way.”

The PSNI said it would not comment on the incident or the security of individuals.

“We never ignore anything that would put someone at risk and where we receive a report of a threat or threatening behaviour, a full investigation is carried out.”

The full article contains 459 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
Last Updated: 20 November 2007 5:57 PM

Belfast Telegraph

By Chris Thornton
Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Gerry Adams’ publisher has hit out at the “censorious approach” of the republican movement after another of his authors - Colombian fugitive James Monaghan - pulled out of promotional interviews apparently on the orders of the IRA.

Mr Monaghan has told publisher Steve MacDonagh that he will not do broadcast interviews for his new book, Colombia Jail Journal, which was published by Brandon Books yesterday.

The book is Mr Monaghan’s account of his arrest in Colombia in 2001 with Niall Connolly and Martin McAuley.

The three men were later convicted of aiding FARC guerillas but fled the country while on bail and returned to Ireland.

Mr MacDonagh, who also published several of Gerry Adams’ books, said Mr Monaghan’s contract for the book had included a provision to promote it.

But he said that shortly before yesterday’s publication, to his ” complete surprise” Mr Monaghan informed him that the republican movement had told him not to take part in any broadcast interviews.

As a result, a planned appearance on RTE’s popular Late, Late Show was cancelled.

Mr MacDonagh said his understanding was that the order blocking broadcast interviews did not come from Sinn Fein.

However, he said yesterday he has now been told Mr Monaghan’s print interviews will be “supervised by Sinn Fein”.

“As far as I understand Sinn Fein will choose which publications he speaks to,” he said.

“That isn’t the way Brandon (Books) does business.

“We won’t take part in such a censorious approach. With our authors, we want them to be available to all the media.”

The publisher said he was particularly displeased because he had a long track record of campaigning against censorship laws in the Republic, which were frequently applied against Sinn Fein.

Mr MacDonagh withdrew his planned promotional campaign for the book but Sinn Fein scheduled their own launch in Dublin last night.

Mr MacDonagh did not participate.

Another of the Colombia fugitives, Martin McAuley, is also proving to be elusive.

Last month senior coroner John Leckey appealed for him to get in touch about next year’s inquest into the alleged shoot-to-kill death of teenager Michael Tighe.

McAuley was wounded in the RUC shooting that killed Tighe. The two were shot in 1982 in a hayshed near Lurgan where the IRA had stored weapons.

Irish Independent

Tuesday November 20, 2007

Sinn Fein has denied media reports that one of its members was involved in the alleged intimidation of Robert McCartney in Belfast.

The report claimed a man with links to Sinn Fein told Gemma McCarthy to leave a nationalist area close to where her brother was killed.

She was in the area at the time while working with a mobile cancer screening unit, which left the area after the incident.

Sinn Fein MLA Alec Maskey has denied that any Sinn Fein members was involved and has condemned people he claimed were trying to score cheap political points from the situation