O Muilleoir: it’s a fact police were involved

SINN Fein MLA Mairtin O Muilleoir has stood by his claim that the RUC was involved in Michael Stone’s attack on a republican funeral at Milltown Cemetery in 1988.

He said that it was “a fact” and challenged the PSNI to “open the files and let the families see the truth of what happened that day”.

Mr O Muilleoir originally made the claim of UDA/RUC collusion in a tweet as he attended a memorial event for Thomas McErlean, who was killed by Stone in the attack.

Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Ulster yesterday, Mr O Muilleoir said that RUC collusion was common knowledge.

“In the 1980s and early Nineties the RUC was deeply involved in collusion with loyalist gangs,” he said. “Over the last few days we have commemorated Milltown — three heroes who saved many lives by defending mourners and pushing back Michael Stone on that day.

“The grenades used were brought in from South Africa by Brian Nelson, a known RUC agent, and one of the weapons used by Stone was also brought in from that consignment of arms.”

Former RUC Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan slammed the tweet as “another attempt to rewrite history”.

Allegations: Mairtin O Muilleoir

“I know Alan well and admire his efforts to defend the RUC, he does it manfully,” said Mr O Muilleoir.

“If he really wants to he should throw open the files and let the families see the truth of that day. That allegation is more than an allegation, it’s a fact. I was there that day, there wasn’t one person in the cemetery who didn’t believe state collusion was behind the attack and to this day 30 years on that remains my conviction.”