Republican News · Thursday 4 July 2002

Fermanagh family appeals to Taoiseach

The family of Louis Leonard has said that the collusion revealed by the recent television programme into the death of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane is not an isolated incident.

Ciaran Leonard, spokesperson for the family, said:

"We believe British military intelligence was operating a definite policy of collusion in the Fermanagh area in the early '70s. This led to the murder of Micheal Nann and Andy Murray in Newtownbutler as well as Louis Leonard and Jim Murphy in Derrylin.

"We know that this collusion involved the RUC and going from all the revelations of the Panorama programme there is overwhelming evidence that this policy was directed from Whitehall and the securocrats in the British government.

"The Leonard family have requested access to RUC files relating to Louis' murder but have continuously found the RUC/PSNI to be completely uncooperative in relation to this serious matter.

"The family have been continuously harassed and discouraged by the "forces of law and order" from pursuing their ongoing campaign for the truth.

"The Fermanagh based group for victims of state violence, Fírinne (Truth), of which I am a member, calls for An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to demand an international inquiry surrounding the British state's active participation of unlawful killings in the Six Counties during the past 30 years."