Pressure mounts for Finucane public inquiry

The British government was under pressure today to press ahead with establishing a public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane following the guilty plea by former police informer Ken Barrett.

The British government was under pressure today to press ahead with establishing a public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane following the guilty plea by former police informer Ken Barrett.

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy set up inquiries earlier this year into three other contentious murders in which security force collusion was alleged, but put an inquiry into the Finucane case on hold until after the court proceedings were concluded.

Nationalist politicians said there was now no excuse for the inquiry not being ordered.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office said they were first checking whether anyone else beyond Barrett may be charged in connection with the Finucane case.

“We will be establishing whether there are any other prosecutions that could be affected by a public inquiry and will make a further announcement as soon as possible,” he said.

Inquiries are already due to take place into the murders of solicitor Rosemary Nelson, Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright and Robert Hamill.

They were recommended, together with one into the Finucane murder, by retired Canadian judge Peter Cory in reports to the British government on alleged collusion.

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said the guilty plea by Barrett removed the “bogus” argument being used by the British government to prevent a full independent inquiry into the Finucane murder being set up.

He claimed the guilty plea “came about as a result of the sordid deal brokered by the British system to ensure that the collusion cover-up continues”.

He said: “Those elements at the heart of the British system who manipulated and directed the activities of the loyalist death squads were determined that the full extent of their activities, including the murder of Pat Finucane, were not revealed in open court.”

SDLP justice spokesman Alban Maginness said the Barrett trial was the British government’s last excuse for not living up to its commitments.

“The guilty plea in the Barrett trial removes the last fig leaf,” he said.

Mr Maginness added: “The (British) government must face up to the fact that it has destroyed its own credibility on this issue, so there should be no last-minute fudge or prevarication on the terms of the inquiry.”

:: Solicitor Rosemary Nelson was killed by a loyalist under-car booby trap bomb which exploded as she drove away from her home in Lurgan, Co Armagh, in 1999.

:: LVF leader Billy Wright was targeted and murdered by members of the Irish National Liberation Army inside the Maze Prison in 1997.

:: Robert Hamill, a Catholic, died in hospital after being attacked by a loyalist mob in his home town of Portadown, Co Armagh, in 1997.

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