Finucanes set to hear inquiry decision

Published Wednesday, 05 October 2011
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The family of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane will travel to Downing Street next Tuesday, where they will hear what kind of inquiry the government will hold into his murder.

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Mr Finucane was gunned down by a UDA gang in front of his wife and children in his north Belfast home in 1989.

His family wants a Bloody Sunday-style independent inquiry into allegations of collusion between the loyalist killers and security forces.

They have always said they will only co-operate with an investigation that leads to the truth, and also insist the government should not be allowed to withhold any secret documents.

On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron told UTV that the decision will be announced soon if an inquiry is to be held and, if so, under what terms.

He said: "On the issue of Finucane, I know that the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, has promised an announcement and a statement soon and I think we have to let him do that.

"As I have said though many times before, I don't believe in very expensive, open-ended inquiries like Saville - it was important but we can't go on along those lines."

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir John Stevens conducted an inquiry into the death.

In April 2003, he said he had enough evidence to conclude that the murder could have been prevented and that there had been collusion between the security forces and loyalists in the killing.

Stevens' conclusion was significantly influenced by an account of Pat Finucane's murder given by William Stobie - a so-called UDA quarter master and police informant.

Mr Stobie was the man who supplied the weapons which killed the solicitor. He claimed he had provided information that could have saved his life or led to his killers being captured, had the then RUC acted on it.

Stobie was murdered by the UDA in December 2001, two weeks after he was cleared of murdering Pat Finucane.

North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds says people understand the quest for truth, but adds all victims families should be entitled to equal treatment.

He said: "What they don't want to see is certain crimes, atrocious as they are, elevated to a level where they become inquired into and other people, also entirely innocent, not get an inquiry.

"People will be looking to the government I think to maintain its promise, given before the election, that there will be no more costly, open-ended inquiries."

The Finucanes will be in Downing Street next Tuesday to meet the Secretary of State to hear what kind of enquiry the government has decided to set up.

Ahead of those discussions, Owen Paterson will meet The Irish Foreign Affairs minister, Eamonn Gilmore, in Dublin on Thursday to discuss the case.

© UTV News
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7 Comments
The Truth Teller in Belfast wrote (588 days ago):
Wasting more tax payers money on a senseless case, move on God sake, he wasn't the only one killed, just a high profile name thats all, move on!
Esdale in Belfast wrote (589 days ago):
-- Marty -- Good of you to make such a confession for all to witness. Now that you have made the situation crystal clear everyone knows just exactly what you republican, nationalist and IRA/Sinn Fein voters and supporters are up to, it sure makes a mockery and gives lie of all this talk " ABOUT MOVING ON " !! Thank you Marty for clarifying the situation. Prods & Unionists and innocent victims beware.
marty in Ireland wrote (590 days ago):
You had better believe it ESDALE! No more cover up's. We will never give up. The truth of bloody Sunday has taken us over 35 years to accomplish. Pat will be the same, we will never stop.
Rob in North Down wrote (590 days ago):
I really am fed up hearing about requests for public enquiries. Billy Wright, Rosemary Nelson, Pat Finucane etc etc. Politicians say we should look to the future. Well why then don't we do just that, instead of wasting millions to get lawyers rich! It's happened. It can't be changed. You werent the only people affected by terrorists. Move on!!!!!
Esdale in Belfast wrote (590 days ago):
Oh' please God not that name Finucane coming up again. Scream - scream and scream again.
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