How QIH had to call on Foster to have arrest warrant put in motion
THE Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) directors had to involve Arlene Foster in the aftermath of Kevin Lunney’s abduction to get an arrest warrant executed.
The warrant was served on Bernard McGovern, a man who is alleged by authorities in the south to have assaulted Mr Lunney and fellow director Dara O’Reilly at a petrol station in Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan.
McGovern – an amateur boxer from Springtown Road in Kinawley, Co. Fermanagh – is accused of breaking Kevin Lunney’s nose on February 1 in an unprovoked attack.
A cup of boiling water was allegedly thrown in the face of Mr O’Reilly during the same incident.
McGovern’s home in Northern Ireland is literally within sight of the border overlooked by the same mountain – Slieve Rusheen – that the Quinn cement quarries draw limestone from.
But it took nearly nine months for any police authorities to come looking for Mr McGovern.
A direction to prosecute Mr McGovern was made by the DPP in Dublin in May. Evidence such as CCTV from the petrol station forecourt should make such a case straightforward.
But it took until early July for a European Arrest Warrant to be issued and sent to the PSNI. Then, for two-and-a-half months, nothing happened. He was arrested at his home two days after the most recent attack on Mr Lunney. His was the first arrest after years of attacks on QIH executives in this area.
When McGovern agreed to travel the few miles to speak with gardaí in Ballyconnell within seven days he was released on bail. But all this only came about due to an intervention from the former First Minister.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, director John McCartin said: ‘She rang Liam {McCaffrey, CEO] on the morning after it [the abduction], and Liam was quite cool with her, and she said
“if there is anything we can do”. ‘And he said: “Well, there’s a European arrest warrant sitting in an office in Belfast because there’s nobody doing their job up there. Because it’s not been activated.” ‘She said: “Well people are blaming Brexit, but it’s nothing to do with Brexit.” Within an hour of that phone call the warrant was exercised,’ McCartin said.