RUC involved in politically motivated arrests
by Pádraig MacDabhaid
Claims that the arrests last week of four South Armagh men were
politically motivated appear to have been vindicated after the four
men were released without charge on Thursday, 15 April.
The four men were arrested and six vehicles taken away by the RUC on
Tuesday 13 April. The media, no doubt running with RUC leaks, claimed
that the four men were being questioned about the death of Eamonn
Collins. Sinn Féin clearly stated, however, that ``no evidence or
substantive allegations'' had been put to the men.
Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin Assembly member for Newry and Armagh, is set
to raise the arrests and detention of the men with British Secretary
of State Mo Mowlam.
Murphy says that if Mowlam listens to the recordings of the men's
interrogations, ``as she is legally entitled to do, she will discover
that no evidence or substantive allegations have been put to the men
and instead, the RUC interrogators have spoken at length about
political issues and about the peace process.
``This is a very serious abuse of power by the RUC and I will be
asking Mowlam for an explanation''.
Murphy says the arrests were politically motivated in order to
deflect attention from the UN Rapporteur's indictment of the RUC the
previous day. He believes that the activity of the RUC warrants an
inquiry.
This ``sham of an investigation'', he added, ``represents a very serious
abuse of power by the RUC and I will be putting that to Mo Mowlam in
the strongest terms''.
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