Allister probes how many other times justice was perverted
25 August 2010
As the fall-out from the Ombudsman's Report on Claudy continues, an issue of concern to TUV Leader Jim Allister is whether on other occasions during The Troubles political/policing decisions were taken to turn a blind act to terrorist activity. Accordingly, Mr Allister has filed two FOI requests with the Secretary of State and the Chief Constable in the following terms:-
"Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I write to enquire, in light of the shocking findings of the Ombudsman's Report on the Claudy bombing, if there were other occasions whereby the NIO/RUC/PSNI made or encouraged arrangements during the course of 'The Troubles' whereby individuals were not pursued over suspected criminality."
Commenting Jim Allister said, "The public are rightly outraged by the shameful handling of the Claudy bombing and in particular the amnesty, even from questioning, given to a Roman Catholic priest. This, however, raises the very real question of just on how many other occasions during The Troubles political expediency and interference overruled due process and the rule of law. Given the huge volume of unsolved murders, I suspect Claudy was not the only occasion when political meddling denied justice. If saving the blushes of the Catholic Church was more important than solving mass murder in Claudy, was anything off limits in political manipulation by the NIO and others? What other dirty deals were done?
"Public concern having been aroused by the Claudy revelations it is now in the public interest that honesty and transparency is brought to all such dealings. Hence my FOI requests to the Secretary of State and the Chief Constable. I've no doubt every effort will be made to hide behind every imaginable excuse to withhold this information, but on the strength of the precedent of the Claudy revelations there should be no hiding place for such chicanery."
