Former RUC men working in cover-up roles

Former members of the murderous RUC police are playing a major part in the ‘truth body’ set up by the British government to help conceal its legacy of war crimes in the north of Ireland, it has emerged.

Ten former RUC figures are now employed by the Orwellian ‘lndependent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery’ (ICRIR).

While the British government says it plans to repeal the broader legislation on the legacy of the conflict introduced by the previous Tory regime, it says it intends to retain the ICRIR.

Former RUC assistant chief Peter Sheridan (pictured, right) already heads its so-called ‘investigations’. But questions are now being asked over the role being played by the large number of other former RUC men in the organisation.

Daniel Holder, of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, has pointed to what he describes as “conflicts of interest”.

“Whilst previously the ICRIR has declined to clarify specific roles - beyond the ICRIR Commissioner for Investigations, the question is, as is likely, if they are involved in investigations or as intelligence officers?” he said.

“This is not a personal issue regarding any of these former RUC officers, but it relates to the fundamental principle of practical independence in legacy investigations that is a legal requirement of Articles 2 and 3 of the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights).

“Conflicts of interest can arise if you are involved in investigation engaging the actions of an institution you were part of.”

Article 2 relates to the right to life, while Article 3 prohibits torture, inhuman treatment, and degrading punishment.

Mr Holder said that every legacy investigation “could engage the actions of the RUC and partner state agencies”.

Mr Holder said it was for this reason legacy investigations under the Police Ombudsman, an oversight body, and ‘Operation Kenova’, a distinct police investigation into collusion, have precluded ex-RUC from any involvement.

However, Operation Kenova has so far notably failed to bring any prosecutions against members of the British Crown Forces in their investigations into major collusion scandals, its only prosecution so far being against veteran republican Martin McCauley.

And former RUC members have fully succeeded in preventing the Police Ombudsman from exposing details of their collusion with loyalist paramilitaries. Members of the ‘Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association’ have been blocking the Ombudsman from reaching conclusions about them through a series of legal actions, a conflict which is now set to go before the High Court.

Among the atrocities for which the Police Ombudsman is being accused of exceeding her powers is her findings of ‘collusive behaviour’ by RUC members in the 1994 Loughinisland massacre, when loyalists fired into a crowded pub of Irish soccer fans, killing six civilians and injuring five.

Urgent Appeal