Hain urged to make statement of threats to republicans
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain faced calls today to make a statement on the threat to around 400 republicans whose details were found in the hands of loyalists.
Sinn Féin policing spokesperson Gerry Kelly, who demanded an inquiry yesterday after Gerry Adams and other republicans were told their personal details were in a stolen British army file taken from Castlereagh Police Station in July last year, has also requested meeting with British and Irish ministers.
He was outraged that republicans on the list had been living without protection while their personal details were in the hands of loyalists.
“It is unacceptable that this information has been the hands of loyalists for 16 months yet only now are people being warned that their lives are threatened and are being provided with only minimal information,” the North Belfast MLA said.
“The silence from Peter Hain on this matter is deafening.
“If there is to be any confidence that the British government is prepared to take the issue of collusion seriously then we need at the very least a statement from Peter Hain.”
The document was stolen during a breach of internal security at Castlereagh security complex in east Belfast in July last year.
More than 20 soldiers were moved to less sensitive duties after an investigation was launched into the missing document.
However, when Sinn Féin raised concerns last year about the theft, they were told by former Northern Ireland Office minister Ian Pearson that there was nothing to suggest the information was in the hands of paramilitaries.
Police initially went this week to homes in Belfast’s Short Strand district, a staunchly Catholic area in the east of the city, to inform people there their details were on the list.
Among those believed to be warned in the area was former Belfast deputy mayor Joe O’Donnell.
Republicans in south, west and north Belfast, including Gerry Adams and Councillor Margaret McClenaghan, have also been warned their lives are in danger.
Mr Kelly today also queried why information on public representatives was being held in the files in the first place.
“When I questioned the previous security minister, Ian Pearson, about this matter he attempted to downplay it and did not even inform myself or my party colleague Margaret McClenaghan, who accompanied me to the meeting, that our names where on these files,” he said.
“We need to know how many names are contained in these stolen files and how many people have now been informed that their lives are under threat.
“This situation is a scandal. The British Government through the Northern Ireland Office are complicit in the cover up of this.
“It provides clear evidence of collusion. It is for that reason that a separate inquiry is required to get to the truth.”
