BBC backs smear campaign
SINN FEIN'S ALEX MASKEY has rubbished the Spotlight
programme broadcast by the BBC on Tuesday 11 February and
has accused the BBC of backing an SDLP smear campaign
against the party. Maskey said there is no evidence that the
party is involved in electoral fraud.
Maskey said the programme had a hidden agenda and stressed,
``Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and myself were interviewed;
no evidence of electoral illegality alleged against Sinn
Fein was shown to us.
``The electoral office has publicly rejected the suggestion
that there is any organised electoral illegality''.
The programme was made by journalist Stephen Walker who was
involved in a Spotlight programme last year which claimed to
identify members of the IRA Army Council. RUC spy Thomas
Douglas, who came forward to An Phoblacht last year, told us
he had forwarded information from his RUC handlers to the
programme makers. Douglas maintained that he supplied video
footage to BBC that was used to reveal the identity of one
Belfast Republican who the Spotlight makers said was on the
IRA Army Council.