Republican News · Thursday 3 July 2003

Fullertons present new evidence

The family of assassinated Donegal Sinn Féin Councillor Eddie Fullerton have handed in a dossier containing new evidence about his death to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Eddie's wife Dinah, and the family's legal representative, Greg O'Neill, presented the documents on Friday.

Albert Fullerton, Eddie's son, told An Phoblacht that the dossier handed into Minister Michael McDowell contained a detailed signed statement from a witness who has come forward with new evidence. "There's also other substantial evidence contained in it relating to three individuals - one who called to the house the night Eddie was murdered, and two gardaí who are now having their reputations rubbished by the Morris Tribunal and the Frank Shortt case," he said.

On Wednesday 25 June, Fine Gael's Jim Higgins had put forward a question to the Seanad, asking that an inquiry be set up on the basis of the new evidence, which had been published in a newspaper the previous Sunday.

The paper reported the witness' claim that he saw an unmarked RUC vehicle pick up Fullerton's killers a half hour after the shooting. Junior Minister Willie O'Dea retorted that the allegations were made behind a cloak of anonymity and that he did not see merit for a new inquiry.

Albert said that Wednesday's European Court ruling in the Patrick Finucane case had been called for by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on the premise that there had been no investigation into the solicitor's death.

"There was no investigation into Eddie's death either, but he is not calling for an inquiry into that," he said. "It shows the double standards being used by the Taoiseach, and stinks of hypocrisy."

Sinn Féin Vice President Pat Doherty described O'Dea's dismissal of the demand for an inquiry as "disgraceful". Donegal Councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn said "it is long overdue that this government address the concerns of the Fullerton family".