Republican News · Thursday 3 October 2002

Special Branch tried to recruit Fermanagh man

The RUC/PSNI tried to pressurise a young Newtownbutler man into acting as an informer, according to Sinn Féin councillor Thomas O'Reilly.

O'Reilly said his constituent was asked to go to Newtownbutler RUC/PSNI barracks with the necessary information needed to process a gun licence application. When the man arrived he was taken by two plain clothed RUC/PSNI members into an interview room, where he was questioned about the activities of named individuals in the Newtownbutler and a known republican living in Clones.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that when he realised that this was an attempt to set him up as an informer, he got up and demanded to be let out of the barracks. "At this point I was asked if I wanted a contact number for the pair and was told they would see me again," he said.

"This sort of Special Branch activity proves that the Special Branch are still waging a war against the nationalist community despite the so called new beginning for the police," said Councillor O'Reilly.

The councillor urged anyone caught up in the same circumstances to contact their solicitor or local Sinn Féin representative.