RUC step up informer drive
By Pádraig MacDabhaid
The RUC is mounting a major drive to blackmail local people and
recruit informers in Tyrone, according to Omagh Sinn Féin councillor
Terence Brogan.
Speaking to An Phoblacht, Brogan accused the RUC of a widespread
campaign of ``approaches to people in Gortin, Carrickmore, Omagh and
Beragh during the past couple of months''.
Brogan said that both plain-clothes and uniformed RUC personnel have
been involved but singled out one particular RUC member, who he says
is at the forefront of such harassment in Carrickmore: ``He is Special
Branch and is targeting local people in order to compromise them.
``One day they may engage in a charm offensive and the next day they
may offer people amnesty for various offences in return for
information,'' said Brogan. ``Several young people are living through a
nightmare, being regularly followed, pulled in, and asked to keep an
eye on named republicans. Others are being asked to provide
information in exchange for being allowed to proceed with car defects.
In one case, the RUC is targeting a single mother who they know is in
considerable debt.''
The RUC will try to set up meetings with people to ``discuss'' the
dropping of charges. Their favoured meeting places are behind the Bank
of Ireland in Campsie, Omagh, the Lovers Retreat in Omagh, and Drum
Manor Forest Park in Cookstown.
Brogan also says that the RUC is involved in phone tapping, as they
have repeated details of telephone conversations between local people,
a matter he intends to raise with British Telecom.
The Omagh Sinn Féin representative has advised anyone who has found
themselves in such a situation to come forward and report the incident
to a local elected representative or solicitor.
Sinn Féin Assembly member for the area, Barry McElduff, says that
``this campaign to recruit informers and terrorise people is taking
place while certain sections of the media are attempting to demonise
the people of Carrickmore over their objections to Monsignor Denis
Faul's work in forming a liaison committee between the RUC and some
local people masquerading as community representatives.
``This campaign to recruit informers shows that the RUC is still at war
with the nationalist community.''
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