Republican News · Thursday 13 February 1997

RUC try to recruit young man

By Mick Naughton.

Short Strand Sinn Féin representative Dominic Corr hit out at the RUC at a press conference in the local Sinn Féin advice centre on Wednesday 12 February where a local man had come forward to expose a blackmail attempt by the Special Branch.

Corr, flanked by the clearly distressed young man, told how the RUC had approached him at Mountpottinger RUC barracks on Monday where he was seeing about a complaint.

The man (aged 19) has, as a result of the approach, lost his job, afraid to return after the two Special Branchmen repeated personal details and information that showed they were clearly aware of his routine.

The man's girlfriend's home was also mentioned as were places they regularly go out to. The RUC offered him money, ``anything around the £800 mark'', he said, telling him it would help him on his holiday, the foreign destination of which they also knew.

The RUC arranged to meet him close to where he worked on Belfast's `Golden Mile' area on Wednesday night 12 February. He will not be attending this meeting. Following the approach Brendan told his mother and father what occurred. His father wisely got in touch with a lawyer and Sinn Féin.

Corr named one of the RUC men involved who regularly poses as a ``community cop'' but that his real job is to act as message boy for his Special Branch bosses.

``I am glad this young man made the mature decision of refusing to be forced to set up members of his own community and would urge anyone in a similar compromising circumstance to immediately contact someone they can trust who can help publicise the sordid activities of the RUC.''

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