Finucanes expose Cameron’s deception

The family of Pat Finucane have released documents which confirm the British Prime Minister deliberately reneged on a promise to hold a public inquiry into the murder of their loved one.

The widow of the prominent defence lawyer, Geraldine Finucane, described David Cameron as “dishonourable” after he announced a review led by a government lawyer into the killing. It is accepted the 1989 assassination involved Crown force collusion with a loyalist death squad. The masked gang shot the defence lawyer in front of his wife and three children as they ate dinner in their north Belfast home.

Mrs Finucane said she and her family had been “lured to Downing Street under false pretences by a disreputable government led by a dishonourable man”.

The family were told during a meeting in London last week that there would be a review of the case -- but no public inquiry, as promised since 2001.

Speaking yesterday about their “humiliation” at the hands of Cameron, the Finucanes said that at no time during a year of discussions with the British government were they told an alternative to an inquiry was being considered.

The family released correspondence between their legal team and the British government to support this claim.

The Finucanes’ solicitor, Peter Madden, said Mr Cameron’s recent involvement in the case had been “unexpected”. He said that one week before the Downing Street meeting a senior government figure assured him the prime minister had looked at the papers and the family could “expect things to happen” and that Mr Cameron was confident the family would be happy with the outcome.

Mrs Finucane said she could not believe they had been invited to the prime minister’s home just to be refused some thing which had been offered several years ago.

“The fact that David Cameron did so and in such a public fashion ranked as one of the most cruel and devastating experiences of my life,” she said.

“The case of Pat Finucane shows that British prime ministers no longer keep their promises.”

Flanking his mother during yesterday’s press conference, John Finucane said Mr Cameron and Secretary of State Owen Paterson had shown “arrogance” in the treatment of their family.

He said the British government’s u-turn was “at best a very serious error of judgment and at worst a very symbolic rejection of what we have been campaigning for”.

The 26-County government has strongly criticised British Prime Minister David Cameron over his refusal to order a public inquiry into the 1989 murder of Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane.

Tanaiste and 26-County foreign affairs minister Eamon Gilmore said London had fallen short of a deal struck at peace talks over ten years ago.

He said Dublin had already conveyed its dissatisfaction and disappointment to London and would be preparing a formal response in the coming days.

“There are sometimes occasions when frank disagreements arise between states. This is one on this occasion,” he said.

Mr Gilmore said Taoiseach Enda Kenny had not been told about the decision until a telephone call from Mr Cameron shortly before the meeting.

Speaking after a meeting with Mr Gilmore in Dublin, Mrs Finucane said he had described last Tuesday’s decision as ‘a dark day for her family, Ireland and the rule of law’.

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