‘Last chance’ for recruitment target

British military intelligence has been accused of stuffing an envelope full of cash through a letterbox in an attempt to recruit a man as an informer.

PJ Kelly, who comes from Cavan, claimed he has been approached by MI5 several times in the past two years.

He said that during the most recent incident last Monday a sum of money was pushed through the letterbox of his work accommodation near Glasgow after he refused to open the front door.

A note written on the envelope read: “Hope this helps” and was signed “David”.

The 30-year-old republican said that on one occasion as he travelled through Leeds Bradford Airport he was taken aside by officials and introduced to a man calling himself David who said he was from MI5.

He said ‘David’ has made repeated approaches to him in the past two years and was one of the two men who left the cash at his accommodation this week.

Mr Kelly claimed notes have been inserted in his passport as he passed through airports on his way to England and Scotland to work. He said that on one occasion a note read: “PJ, last chance, give us a call when you’ve had a chance to think.”

He said he has also been bombarded by messages to his mobile phone in recent weeks. Mr Kelly said he believes MI5 has been watching him at work in Glasgow, and he may have to return home because of the unwanted attention.

“I don’t know what to think,” he said. “I am nervous. I am going to have to go home. I wish they would leave me alone. I am worried I would lose my job and there is no work. I am here to support my daughter and they are harassing me.”

Mr Kelly said he is worried by the tone of the notes. “They say ‘this is your last chance’,” he said. “What does that mean? My last chance to talk to them or is that a threat?”

MILLIONS SPENT ON ‘TOUTS’

The recruitment of informers continues to remain one of the more controversial areas of “security” in the North.

The PSNI police has paid out almost 2 million pounds to informers over the last five years, with the sums continuing to increase. That figure refers only to informers handled by the PSNI, and not those recruited by MI5 and British army intelligence.

The issue has also polarised republicans and Sinn Fein supporters.

Tyrone republican Frank McGirr, whose 23-year-old brother Colm was shot dead in December 1983, said last week he was “resigning” from Sinn Fein after the party’s policing spokesperson Gerry Kelly expressed support for the use of informers.

Speaking on BBC radio in a debate on the issue, Mr Kelly said he opposed the recruitment of children as informers, but not adults.

“I am not against the use of informants and I’ve never said that,” he said.

Speaking to the same radio show, Mr McGirr said: “I am a member of Sinn Fein no longer from today. I don’t support informers. Informers are low lives. Thirty-one years ago my youngest brother Colm was murdered by the SAS on December 4 at Clonoe and that was due to police informers.”

He said his brother was a member of the IRA but was unarmed at the time he was killed.

A spokesman for Sinn Fein later later denied Mr McGirr was a party member.

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