SAOIRSE32

BBC
16 Sept 2008

The government should clarify whether GCHQ was listening to the Omagh bombers’ mobile phone calls in “real time”, the Victims Commission has said.

The call follows an investigation by the BBC’s Panorama programme.

It revealed that the intelligence agency was monitoring Real IRA phone conversations as the bombers drove the device into the town in August 1998.

Bertha McDougall, the current chair of the commission, said the victims’ families have unanswered questions.

“At this stage the commission has an open mind on whether there should be a public inquiry or not.

“We intend to form a view on that matter by meeting with families and by urgently meeting with the secretary of state and the justice minister from the Republic,” she said.

Twenty-nine people and unborn twins were killed in the attack, which was the worst single atrocity of the Troubles, in Northern Ireland.

BBC
16 Sept 2008

Two men have been charged with the murder of journalist Martin O’Hagan in Lurgan seven years ago.

Neil Hyde, 28, of Princetown Avenue, and Nigel William Leckey, 43, of Bowens Lane were both accused of the killing.

Martin O’Hagan was shot dead as he walked home with his wife

Mr Leckey was also charged with possessing ammunition.

A third man, 42-year-old Robin Andrew King was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by disposing of, or concealing, the getaway car.

Mr King was described in Lisburn Magistrates Court as a leading member of the LVF in the mid-Ulster area.

A fourth man, Mark Kennedy, 28, was accused of helping to facilitate the disposal or concealment of the getaway car.

Mr Kennedy was granted bail, but the other three defendants were remanded in custody because of the concerns over intimidation, absconding or committing further offences.

Mr O’Hagan, 51, was shot dead as he walked home with his wife from a pub in Lurgan, County Armagh in 2001.

The murder was claimed by the Red Hand Defenders, a cover name used by both the Loyalist Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association.

Mr O’Hagan, who worked for the Sunday World newspaper, had built up a reputation for breaking paramilitary and drug-dealing stories.

BBC
16 Sept 2008

Families bereaved by the Omagh bomb have threatened legal action to try to force the intelligence services to hand over information about the bombing.

The move follows an investigation by the BBC’s Panorama programme.

It revealed that GCHQ was monitoring Real IRA phone conversations as the bombers drove the device into the town in August 1998.

The families want access to tape recordings of the conversations and/or transcripts of what was said.

The relatives are currently involved in a civil action against those they believe they were involved in the bombing and want the phone evidence to try to help their case.

If the information is not voluntarily handed over in the next week, the families say they will take legal action to try to make it happen.

Bertha McDougall, the current chair of the Commission for Victims and Survivors, said the victims’ families have unanswered questions.

“At this stage the commission has an open mind on whether there should be a public inquiry or not.

“We intend to form a view on that matter by meeting with families and by urgently meeting with the secretary of state and the justice minister from the Republic,” she said.

Twenty-nine people and unborn twins were killed in the attack, which was the worst single atrocity of the Troubles, in Northern Ireland.

BBC
16 Sept 2008

One of the men accused of killing Ballymena schoolboy Michael McIlveen has pleaded guilty to his involvement in the murder.

Michael McIlveen died after being attacked by a gang in May 2006

Mervyn Wilson Moon, 20, of Douglas Terrace, Ballymena, changed his plea on Tuesday afternoon at Antrim Crown Court, five days into the trial.

He is one of six people accused of murdering the 15-year-old in May 2006.

Michael McIlveen died in hospital from his injuries after being attacked in an alleyway in the town centre.

Moon was remanded in custody. He will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last another 10 weeks.

His former co-accused, four men and one juvenile deny the charge of murder.

Another 18-year-old is accused of affray and causing criminal damage.

The trial continues.

News Letter
16 Sept 2008

A YOUNG boy actually touched a 100lb bomb left in south Armagh without knowing what it was, police revealed last night.

An investigation has been launched by police in Newry into the discovery of the device outside Jonesborough at the weekend.

The shocking discovery had been made by victims’ rights campaigner Willie Frazer

Speaking yesterday afternoon, Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum said: “This was a viable device – it is fortunate that it did not detonate. It could have caused serious injury or even death. Those who left the device have no regard for the people who live in the area.

“We know that a young boy actually touched the device not knowing what it was. We are fortunate that we are not dealing with a different set of circumstances here today – in that this young boy could have been injured.”

The police chief has urged anyone who was in the Molly Road area of Jonesborough on Saturday to contact them.

Meanwhile, Willie Frazer has hit out at Sinn Fein and accused them of “hollow and hypocritical” words of condemnation.

Mr Frazer, who heads up Markethill-based group FAIR, said the incident was evidence of the “ongoing nature of republican terrorism and the real threat that continues”.

He said: “The bomb was similar to previous PIRA devices I have seen during the Troubles. I believe that this was intended for a police patrol and would have been claimed under the name of dissidents – however the message it sends out benefits republicans and criminals of all kinds.”

He also claimed that words of concern or criticism from Sinn Fein were “hollow and hypocritical”.

“They blame dissidents – however, they may fool our politicians, but not us and indeed not even their own community.

“They have been willing to close roads and seal off areas when it suits them like their parades or commemorations, but when it comes to protecting their own communities they choose rather to protect the murderers.”

Saturday’s bomb was also condemned by Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kennedy: “I understand that police revealed this evening that a young boy touched the bomb in question out of curiosity – it is lucky that this innocent act of a 10-year-old did not end in tragedy. This young boy did not know the potential dangers of what he was doing – we must be grateful that the bomb did not detonate as the consequences do not bear thinking about.”

SDLP MLA Dominic Bradley, accused those who had planted it as having “absolutely no consideration for the residents of the local area” and he urged anyone with information to contact police.

“It was an act of complete irresponsibility and one which all right-thinking people will condemn outright without reservation. The use of violence for political ends was never justified and only resulted in death, destruction and injury for all communities – even those who engaged in violence in the past now recognise that fact.

“There are obviously some people who have not yet woken up to that fact and who persist in subjecting the community to the same horrible possibilities.”

News Letter
16 Sept 2008

THE families of victims of the Omagh bomb are threatening to take legal action if the Government fail to disclose intelligence files.

Speaking on Tuesday, relatives accused the British Govenment of withholding information about the atrocity, which claimed the lives of 29 people and two unborn twins.

Over the weekend, it was revealed intelligence officials were recording the bombers’ mobile phone calls prior to the planting of the 1998 car bomb.

The revelation formed the basis of a BBC documentary on Monday evening.

Michael Gallagher - who lost his son in the Market Street bomb - has written to PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde on the isue and is demanding action within a week.

“We feel that there may be a criminal act committed here, there could be the perversion of justice, there is a charge of withholding information about a serious crime,” he said.

“We believe the intelligence services, the police service and those who work in law and order have responsibility and have to live up to that responsibility, and there has to be some degree of accountability. Until we do have that, we will have an intelligence service that is possibly out of control and a law unto itself,” he added.

Another relative, Carol Radford said: “The whole point is to try to put the bad guys away, what is the point of gathering it (intelligence), if you are not going to use it? The Government can’t walk away from this.”

The Omagh relatives have been campaigning for a full public inquiry into the bombing.

News Letter
15 September 2008

The evidence of the family of 26-year-old Christopher Ward - the only man charged in connection with the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery - was heard at Belfast Crown Court today.

Mr Justice McLaughlin heard statements by Ward’s mother Rose and his brother Gerard.

The bank’s Donegall Square headquarters was targeted in the robbery on December 20, 2004.

Ward was an employee when the heist happened.

Rose and Gerard Ward had told police they were made to stay in their west Belfast home for 24 hours after three men, dressed in dark clothes and carrying baseball bats, and told Chris to bring a bag before he left with one of the men.

The family were told that Chris was “doing a job for us tomorrow and if it goes smoothly, you will be okay.”

During their 24 hours held in the house, Ward’s mother and brother said they were watched at all times by both men. Gerard told police that while the men said they were armed, he didn’t see any weapons.

The Ward family were forced to hand over all mobile and house phones and ordered to stay away from the windows and co-operate as Chris’s life was at stake.

Chris Ward returned home at around 8.45pm on December 20 with his boss Kevin McMullan.

Gerard said that as the men left the house at around 10.15pm, they told Chris not to contact the PSNI until 11pm - and thanked the Ward family for their “co-operation” and apologised for their “inconvenience”.

Ward is denying the charges of robbing the bank and the false imprisonment of Kevin McMullan.

Derry Journal
16 September 2008

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has offered a lifeline to low income families trying to cope with the rising cost of fuel, electricity and gas.

In a letter to the First Minister, Peter Robinson, Mr. McGuinness outlines a series of proposals, including a one-off payment of £200 to low income households, the indefinite deferral of water charges, and the setting up of an emergency fund to tackle fuel poverty.

The Sinn Féin leader last night expressed hope that all Stormont ministers could agree to his proposals ahead of today’s meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

In his letter to Mr. Robinson, Mr. McGuinness suggests a one-off payment of at least £200 to every low income household in the North - a plan which will cost £45 million.

The proposal to defer water charges indefinitely could save the average household £7.50 a week, he claimed.

Mr. McGuinness said all ministers in the Executive have a duty to help those on low incomes ahead of what he describes as “the developing economic crisis”.

“The impact of the global economic downturn and with it the rises in costs of food, fuel, electricity and gas on ordinary households and businesses is an issue which requires the attention of all ministers.

“I have written to the First Minister, Peter Robinson outlining a series of measures which I believe can help ease this burden. While I recognise that the economic crisis is global and outside our control, particularly given the very limited resources and absence of fiscal powers available to us, I feel that we must bring forward a package of measures which would bring immediate and meaningful relief to those affected most by the current situation

“I am seeking agreement from all Ministerial colleagues on these proposals in advance of these meeting with the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown,” he said.

Derry Journal
16 Sept 2008

Graffiti targeting the INLA has appeared on walls in the Brookdale Park area of Galliagh over the weekend.
Slogans reading ‘INLA scumbags’ and ‘F**k the INLA’ were daubed on gable ends in the area and are thought to be connected with a threat made last week by republican paramlitaries to shoot criminals.

On Friday, the ‘Journal’ reported that republican sources in the city were preparing to “execute” leading criminals operating on both sides of the border.

Breaking News.ie
15/09/2008

Most people support devolving policing and justice powers to the North within the next year, a government survey revealed tonight.

With UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown arriving in Belfast tomorrow for talks with local politicians, new polling showed 58% backed handing down security powers from Westminster.

That is a key demand of Sinn Féin, which has been refusing to attend ministerial Executive meetings in protest at alleged lack of progress.

There have been fears power-sharing could collapse if a backlog stretching to June is not tackled on Thursday.

Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward said: “For the third time the polls show that the people of Northern Ireland, from across the communities, are devolutionists.

“They want to see policing and justice powers transferred from Westminster to Stormont. They want to see the process of devolution, which they voted for in March 2007, completed.”

Mr Woodward’s Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has consistently pressed for the move, even though a deadline of last May was missed.

BBC
15 Sept 2008

Petrol bombs have been thrown at police during disturbances in north Belfast.

Fireworks and other missiles were thrown during the trouble at the Ardoyne shops on the Crumlin Road.

Police said they responded to a number of incidents in the area and the trouble started shortly before 2100 BST.

Two petrol bombs were thrown at police but no damage caused. Two police vehicles have been struck by paint.

A PSNI spokesperson said officers were “working with community representatives to bring the incidents to an end”.