Sinn Féin calls for Commissioner of Victims inquiry
Sinn Féin has challenged the Northern Secretary Peter Hain to abide by a High Court recommendation and launch an inquiry into how he appointed the Commissioner for Victims.
Gerry Kelly said Mr Hain must initiate the "immediate inquiry" ordered by the court into an attempted cover-up over his appointment of Mrs Bertha McDougall.
The court found Mr Hain had acted with an improper political motive in consulting one party only - Ian Paisley's DUP - before appointing Bertha McDougall, a police officer's widow, as interim Victims' Commissioner.
Even more damaging was the judge’s conclusion that senior civil servants had decided that incorrect and misleading information would be supplied to the court.
Mr Hain’s subsequent response has been to defend his appointment and to say that time would prove him right.
Gerry Kelly said it was a "blatant political sop" to the DUP and that those involved were fully aware Mrs McDougall's appointment would not command cross-community support.
