Republican News · Thursday 27 March 2002

O'Callaghan retracts claims over Rogers' killing

In a statement supplied to the media at the weekend, South Armagh man Paddy O'Callaghan, who made a number of statements to the media in the aftermath of the killing of IRA Volunteer Keith Rogers, has retracted those statements.

In the aftermath of the incident in Cullaville in South Armagh, in which Keith Rogers was killed, O'Callaghan had claimed the incident was related to a land dispute in the area and that the IRA had threatened him.

However, at the weekend O'Callaghan issued a statement in which he withdrew his original remarks. The following is Paddy O'Callaghan's statement.

"Following the killing of Keith Rogers in Cullaville on March 12. I made a number of statements to the media.

"I said that the incident arose out of a dispute over the purchase of land on the Southern side of the border. I said that I was warned that I would be shot if I had any part in building houses on that land. I said Keith Rogers was armed and I implied that he and another man who was injured were 'shot with their own weapons'.

"Having had time to assess all that has happened I want to clarify a number of points. I am satisfied that this version of events given to me was in fact untrue.

"I now fully accept that this incident was not connected to the purchase of land. My life has not been threatened by the IRA over the purchase of land. I accept that this incident arose as a consequence of criminal activity in the South Armagh area.

"I now know that Keith Rogers was unarmed. I also now know that neither he nor the man injured were 'shot with their own weapons'.

"I realise the pain and distress these events have caused to all concerned, especially for the family of Keith Rogers. I hope that my clarification of events will in some way ease that pain."