Move against Official IRA duo over Bloody Sunday a needless distraction: brother of victim
Ex-official IRA pair could face charges over Bloody Sunday
THE potential prosecution of two former Official IRA members in connection with Bloody Sunday has received a mixed reaction.
The news, revealed by the Belfast Telegraph yesterday, was welcomed by unionist politicians, but described as “an unnecessary distraction” by John Kelly, whose brother Michael was among those who died.
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is already in possession of one file on a former Official IRA man, while a second is being prepared by the PSNI team investigating the events of January 30, 1972.
Thirteen people were shot dead when the Army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators. Another died of his injuries several months later.
Two out of five former members of the Official IRA who gave evidence to the Saville Inquiry said in 2003 that they had fired shots on Bloody Sunday.
One said he fired a single shot from a rifle before troops entered the Bogside and another admitted firing two pistol shots at paratroopers.
East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said that where sufficient evidence that could lead to a successful prosecution exists, it must be pursued.
Mr Campbell said: “The broad principle of what I have consistently said throughout the whole Bloody Sunday saga remains the same, no matter who is in the cross-hairs, whether it is former soldiers or former terrorists.
“If there is specific evidence against any individual person of wrongdoing, no matter who they are or what their standing was either at the time or now, then a decision to prosecute is the right one.
“If it is the case that there is a fishing expedition to see if it is possible to put a case, in the
first instance against former soldiers and latterly in this incidence against former terrorists, then I think most people will regard that as totally counter-productive.
“If there is specific information which they believe will translate into evidence and the prosecution service believes there is a reasonable chance of a successful prosecution, then I support the decision to prosecute, whoever the person is.
“If there isn’t that, and this is an expedition to try and close the books on an even-handed basis, then I think that would be a waste of time, and more impor- tantly a waste of public money.”
Mr Kelly, whose bother Michael (17) was the youngest victim who died on Bloody Sunday, also questioned if the decision to seek possible prosecutions of the former Official IRA men was an attempt to “appease” people opposed to the prosecution of soldiers.
He said: “My understanding, which is the same as the other families, was that this was a murder investigation into the deaths of the 14 people who were killed by the British soldiers on Bloody Sunday.
“This is an unnecessary distraction from that, and I think it is an attempt to appease the campaigners who don’t want any soldier held accountable for anything they did that day.”
He added: “The IRA didn’t shoot anyone that day, so the decision to bring them into a murder investigation is beyond my comprehension.”
Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie called on Sinn Fein to release all the information it holds.
Mr Beattie said: “The families deserve all the truth and at the moment Sinn Fein — the holders of the IRA archive and institutional memory — know the truth.
“It is time they stood up and explained exactly what the IRA’s real role was during the events of that day.”
A PPS spokesman said: “We have provided regular updates to all of the families in relation to the Bloody Sunday case, with the most recent contact last week.
“Over the course of last year, the PSNI has provided around 35 lever arch files of material, with further material anticipated.
“Our focus currently is completing our analysis of the police investigation files and on the identification of all significant legal issues and their resolution.
“We have consistently made it clear that the prosecution task in this case is considerable but we are making steady progress.
“We can confirm that one further suspect has been added to the case recently with a further report expected. However, it is not anticipated this will materially affect our timescale for decision-making.”
The MoD said that, due to ongoing legal proceedings, it was inappropriate to comment.