SAOIRSE32

BBC
16 January 2008

The Police Ombudsman has extended its investigation into two officers accused of lying during the Omagh bomb trial.

Twenty-nine people were killed in the Omagh bomb

The ombudsman will now examine other serious concerns raised by Mr Justice Weir last month. It is understood that includes the conduct of other officers.

The judge accused two officers of “deliberate and calculated deception”.

The PSNI has now revealed it has reviewed the positions of Detective Chief Inspector Philip Marshall and Constable Fiona Cooper.

The police said that one of the officers has been moved to perform other duties in line with a recommendation from the ombudsman.

However, the ombudsman has yet to complete its report.

Last month, Sean Hoey was cleared of 58 charges, including the murders of 29 people in the 1998 Real IRA attack.

The Policing Board has pledged an independent review of all investigations into the bombing.

Mistakes

It came after Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde confirmed the two officers under investigation following the trial were still on duty with the police.

Sir Hugh said he would act on any recommendations from an investigation by the Police Ombudsman.

He also defended the performance of police adding that detectives were hindered by mistakes during the initial investigation after the bombing.

Mr Hoey, 38, of Molly Road, Jonesborough in south Armagh, was the only person to have been charged with the Omagh murders - one of the worst atrocities of Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

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Date: 16 Eanáir / January 2008

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In this issue:

1. New Year statement from Republican Sinn Féin
2. No to London or Brussels domination – RSF
3. ‘Low copy pseudo-science must be consigned to history’
4. GAA club targeted in arson outrage
5. State papers show Brits regarded IRA as the ‘only enemy’
6. British army predicted not guilty verdict ‘likely’ for Brit soldier in civilian shooting
7. ‘Real UFF’ admits responsibility for pipe bomb
8. Why UDA sympathisers remained within UDR
9. MI5 delay start of inquest into RUC shooting
10. Tasers for RUC/PSNI in one month
11. No 16 Moore Street to be part of new development
12. Preasráiteas ó Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta
13. Celtic League general secretary at Basque protest

1. NEW YEAR STATEMENT FROM REPUBLICAN SINN FÉIN

ON January 9 Des Dalton, Vice President of Republican Sinn Féin released the following statement:

“As a new year dawns all who believe in Ireland’s right to national freedom must be prepared to take on the issues which 2008 brings. Approaching the end of the first decade of the 21st Century the cause of a free Ireland has seldom faced bigger threats. The threats are twofold, the old imperialism of London in the form of continued British occupation of the Six-Counties and the new imperialism of Brussels and the ongoing attempt to construct a militarised EU superstate.

“2008 will see the campaign to normalise British rule in Ireland intensify. Over the past year we witnessed the staging of an England rugby game in Croke Park and the playing of the English national anthem. We also saw visits by the head of the British colonial Police Hugh Orde to former strongholds of resistance in Ballymurphy and South Armagh, at the invitation of the Provisionals, now signed up to support and administer English, law, courts and police in Ireland.

“Speaking on RTÉ radio on Christmas Eve the leader of the 26-County administration Bertie Ahern said that a visit by the Queen of England to the 26-Counties was now ‘inevitable’. In a statement the Vice-President of Republican Sinn Féin Des Dalton pointed out: ‘Republican Sinn Féin will be to the forefront in opposing such a visit as we are in opposing the ongoing campaign to normalise English rule in Ireland.’

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