Team probing Quinn murder ‘seek interview’ with Murphy
A specialist garda team will seek “a comprehensive interview” with Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy in the coming weeks as part of a fresh investigation into the murder of Paul Quinn.
Sources have revealed the Finance Minister will be quizzed about his repeated claims the IRA assured him they were not responsible for the shocking crime in 2007.
Mr Quinn (21) from Cullyhanna, Co Armagh died from horrific injuries inflicted when up to a dozen IRA men beat him with iron bars and nail-studded cudgels after he was lured to a farm shed in County Monaghan.
Mr Murphy was forced to apologise to Mr Quinn’s parents, Breege and Stephen, over his false claims their son was murdered because of his involvement in crime when it became a major issue in the recent election.
However the senior Sinn Fein member, who had originally tried to deny he ever made the comments, did not clarify that Paul Quinn was not a criminal in his apology. Mr Murphy has also consistently claimed he had co-operated with the original garda investigation in 2007.
But last month it was revealed
met investigating gardai by appointment on one occasion when they asked him to provide answers to “specific questions” which were deemed important to the enquiry.
However security sources revealed Mr Murphy has not met gardai since that time and has not answered their questions.
Sources revealed last night that gardai will be “seeking a comprehensive interview” with Murphy in the hope he will finally share whatever information he has had in his possession for the past 13 years.
A fresh investigation was launched two weeks ago with a core team of 10 officers working exclusively on the case from an incident room at Carrickmache ross garda station. The renewed enquiry is based on an in-depth re-examination of Paul Quinn’s murder by the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) based in Dublin. It is understood up to 150 potential new lines of enquiry have been identified which will now be pursued by the investigation team which will also be backed up by national units.
Senior sources confirmed it is the belief of gardai and the PSNI that Paul Quinn was murdered by a Republican gang made up of well known Provos.
“Conor Murphy will be approached again and the new investigation will definitely be seeking a comprehensive interview which was not forthcoming in the past,” a source revealed.
The Garda Press Office has refused to comment on the level of co-operation received from Conor Murphy stating that “as a matter of policy An Garda Siochana does not comment on named individuals”.