Stakeknife charade exposed

There have been calls for a public inquiry after evidence emerged of a bizarre conspiracy involving British agent Freddie Scappaticci, senior British officials and top members of its military and judiciary.

Scappaticci, a former commander of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU), was named as a British Army agent by the media in 2003.

In two reports for the Irish News, investigative journalist John Ware revealed Scappaticci perjured himself in court at that time, claiming he wasn’t a British Army agent in a bogus attempt ‘to clear his name’.

He wasn’t prosecuted for it, thanks to a secret deal involving MI5 and senior legal and political figures. They knowingly went along with Scappaticci’s charade of pretending to challenge the British state’s ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’ (NCND) policy, by which it refuses to confirm or deny the identity of its agents and informers.

Scappaticci worked for the British Army’s murderous Force Research Unit (FRU) while under instruction from British military intelligence (MI5). He spied on the IRA and killed innocent civilians and genuine republicans accused of being informers, all to satisfy the British military agenda of the day.

Scappaticci’s activities have been investigated by ‘Operation Kenova’, a police unit which was set up in 2016, but which failed to deliver any prosecutions or any significant new information.

Led by the subsequently promoted PSNI chief Jon Boutcher, the investigation has refused even to name the agent known to the public as ‘Stakeknife’.

Ware’s report set out the circumstances where Scappaticci perjured himself to court but wasn’t prosecuted for it.

For reasons which remain unclear, the agent believed he could use a legal charade to convince people he was not ‘Stakeknife’, and the British government went along with it.

He reports that the Crown secretly co-operated with the agent to achieve a legal outcome they both wanted - to protect NCND - but which he pretended to oppose.

The key conspirators he has identified who took part in the elaborate charade were MI5, the then Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, Treasury Counsel, the Northern Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence and two Lord Chief Justices.

Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, who represents 21 families linked to the Kenova investigation, wrote to prosecutors this week about the recent revelations.

“Just over one year on from the interim report families have yet to receive their bespoke reports together with confirmation on the identity of the agent known as Stakeknife,” he said.

“Much of the blame for that lies with MI5 ...

“To compound the problem, we now learn the full details around the decision not to prosecute Freddie Scappaticci and others for perjury and perverting the course of justice.”

Mr Winters said the recent revelations give rise to concern.

“We are most definitely in public inquiry terrain with this latest bizarre development.”

Urgent Appeal