SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph
Saturday, 10 January 2009

In the second day of an interview with the head of the PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Derek Williamson speaks to Crime Correspondent Deborah McAleese about the Omagh bomb, the Northern Bank robbery and the Robert McCartney murder trial

It is unlikely anyone will ever be brought to justice for three of the biggest crimes in Northern Ireland’s recent history, the head of the Serious Crime Branch said.

PSNI Serious Crime Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Derek Williamson

Derek Williamson said detectives are no longer actively working on the Omagh bombing, the Northern Bank robbery or the Robert McCartney murder.

However, Mr Williamson said if new investigative opportunities arise the cases will be reviewed.

He said he regrets that nobody has been made amenable for the crimes. The failed trials — which cost the public purse millions of pounds — led to serious criticism of the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service.

“Have we made mistakes? Yes of course. We are human beings. We try to do the best we can. Is it a prospect that we could go back over those cases? If new evidence comes to light then, yes, we would investigate them. Never say never.

“As the person now responsible for Omagh my assessment is that unless someone’s conscience pricks them and they come forward and tell us what they know or some key witness comes forward then unfortunately, investigatively we have done as much as we can. I have told the Omagh families this,” said Mr Williamson.

“It will always be regrettable that we haven’t made people amenable for all those murders. The same is true in those other investigations.

“Do we make mistakes? Yes. Do we regret them? Yes. Do we work hard to try and make sure we don’t make mistakes in the future? Yes.

“These cases remain open in the sense that if there is new evidence, if people come forward, we can go back and relook again. They are not open in the sense that we are actively working on them and investigating them.”

The Omagh bombing in 1998 was the largest single atrocity of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, claiming the lives of 29 people, one of who was a mother of unborn twins.

In 2007, after 56 days of evidence from 500 witnesses and a trial that cost millions of pounds, South Armagh man Sean Hoey was acquitted of involvement in the bombing.

Another blow for the PSNI and PPS came a few months later when the three men charged in connection with the murder of father-of-two Robert McCartney outside a Belfast pub were acquitted after a judge said the evidence was flawed.

And in October the case against the bank worker accused of stealing £26.5m from the Northern Bank collapsed when the prosecution announced that it would be offering no further evidence.

By Deborah McAleese
Belfast Telegraph
Saturday, 10 January 2009

Three of the biggest crimes in Northern Ireland’s recent history are no longer being actively investigated, the head of the Serious Crime Branch has said.

Detective Chief Superintendent Derek Williamson told the Belfast Telegraph it is unlikely anyone will ever be brought to justice for the Omagh bombing, the Northern Bank robbery or the Robert McCartney murder.

But he stressed that the cases will be looked at once again should new investigative opportunities arise.

“It will always be regrettable that we haven’t made people amenable … Have we made mistakes? Yes of course … We try to do the best we can. Is it a prospect that we could go back over those cases?

“If new evidence comes to light then yes, we would investigate them. Never say never,” Mr Williamson said.

A total of 29 people, including a mother pregnant with unborn twins, were killed during the Real IRA bombing of Omagh.

The only person ever to stand trial for the atrocity was acquitted following a multi-million pound trial.

The bank worker accused of the Northern Bank robbery, the biggest cash robbery in British history at the time — and the three men charged in connection with the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney — were all also acquitted.

The Northern Bank raid, followed swiftly by Mr McCartney’s murder, threatened to unravel the restoration of Stormont because of the reported IRA involvement in both crimes.

News Letter
10 January 2009

A COMPUTER game featuring an ex-IRA member as a character in a warfare style world has been branded as “offensive” and “insensitive” .
Unionists slammed the video game, designed for consoles such as the X-Box and Playstation 3, as “glorifying terrorism” among young people.

Far Cry 2 is styled as “the next-generation first person shooter” from makers Ubisoft and promises a “brand new gaming experience”.

Set in an unnamed African nation in the midst of civil war, the gamer is tasked with tracking down and killing a notorious arms dealer known as The Jackal, who is supplying weapons to both sides.

You must choose a character to play from a group of mercenaries, most of which have an ex-security background.

Among them is Frank Bilders, described as a 36-year-old Fermanagh smuggler, whose experience includes “direct action” as a member of the Provisional IRA.

The fictional character’s biography also includes details of a spell in The Maze prison, as well as the fact Bilders’ was a loan shark and a police informant who went on to smuggle contraband goods into Morroco, Yemen and Chechnya.

Victims campaigner Willie Frazer said the game was “hurtful” to people who have lost loved ones at the hands of IRA atrocities.

Calling for the character to be removed from the game, the FAIR organiser said: “If it was an UVF man there would be some outcry from the nationalist community.

“It’s particularly hurtful to people like ourselves who have lost loved ones to the hands of the IRA,” he said.

“It’s not an organisation that doesn’t exist, it’s still there.

“Can you imagine if you came into the room and your grandchild was playing this on the computer? It would be very offensive to people who have lost their loved ones.”

Junior Minister Jeffrey Donaldson shared similar sentiments.

He said it was “highly insensitive” to have computer game characters who have terrorist links.

“I just wonder at times if people think through how offensive this kind of thing can be and how it effects victims of IRA terrorism.”