Anger as Ombudsman takes PSNI to court

Anger as Ombudsman takes PSNI to court

11 June 2014

ALLEGATIONS that police obstructed an investigation into the Loughinisland killings have been condemned by families of the victims.

Police Ombudsman Dr. Michael Maguire is taking legal action against Chief Constable Matt Baggott in an attempt to force him to hand over sensitive intelligence material, some of which is believed to involve police informers.

Dr. Maguire has claimed police stalled his investigations into allegations against the force linked to 60 murders — among them those carried out at Loughinisland in 1994.

Dr. Maguire said that he had no alternative to the legal action because he had received more than 100 refusals of bids for information.

Moira Casement’s uncle Barney Greene was among those to die at Loughinisland. At 87-years-old he was the oldest victim of The Troubles.

She said the families were “furious” at claims the PSNI were not co-operating with the ombudsman.

“We were promised in 1994 that no stone would be left unturned but here we have the chief constable refusing to co-operate and causing delays — which is time people don’t have,” said Ms. Casement.

“We are furious at this development. It is absolutely unbelievable that the Chief Constable would refuse to co-operate with the ombudsman.

“My aunt Brigid, Barney’s widow, died last December fighting for justice and didn’t get it.

“What is the Chief Constable trying to hide? Who is he covering up for?”

It has been claimed previously by the families that the RUC did not conduct a proper investigation into the Loughinisland massacre because it was protecting an informer and that there was collusion between some officers and the killers.

A report by previous Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson in 2011 found that the RUC failed to properly investigate what happened but stopped short of finding collusion.

Those findings were quashed after a legal challenge by the families and Dr. Maguire is conducting a new investigation.

A PSNI spokesman said it was concerned with protecting life and that they were seeking to agree a solution with the Ombudsman about “complicated and sometimes competing legal issues”.