10 September 1998 Edition
Informer recruitment continues
A young Dungannon man has been on the receiving end of a series of four approaches from the RUC in the last six months, the most recent coming on Tuesday 25 August. In that incident, the young man claims that as he walked along the town's Ballygawley Road at about 5.30pm two men travelling in a car pulled up and told him to get in the car. The man recognised the two from past recruitment attempts as RUC Special Branch members.
Without identifying himself as a member of the RUC, the undercover man in the front passenger seat, using the young man's name, told him, ``if you just get into the car, we'll give you £1000, just for a bit of information. It's not our money, it's the government's.''
The young man replied that he had no information but then he claims that the RUC told him they knew he had information and that they were aware of his movements. The same undercover RUC man then got out of the car, and added that if he ever got into trouble they could prevent him from going to prison.
The car driver than allegedly got out of the car and said to the young man, ``come on, if you give us this information we can put these men behind bars, these prisoners getting released is only a farce, we can keep them in for as long as we like.'' The young man was then threatened with being put ``six foot under''.
Making reference to the Clonoe, Louhgall and Coagh ambushes of IRA volunteers, they said that the men who gave them that information were still ``helping them'' and that Dungannon was, ``full of touts''. They then started naming local men.
The young man repeated that he had no information and after contacting a solicitor and his local Sinn Fein representative urged ``anyone who has been subjected to this type of treatment by the RUC, don't hesitate in contacting a solicitor and Sinn Fein.''
Without identifying himself as a member of the RUC, the undercover man in the front passenger seat, using the young man's name, told him, ``if you just get into the car, we'll give you £1000, just for a bit of information. It's not our money, it's the government's.''
The young man replied that he had no information but then he claims that the RUC told him they knew he had information and that they were aware of his movements. The same undercover RUC man then got out of the car, and added that if he ever got into trouble they could prevent him from going to prison.
The car driver than allegedly got out of the car and said to the young man, ``come on, if you give us this information we can put these men behind bars, these prisoners getting released is only a farce, we can keep them in for as long as we like.'' The young man was then threatened with being put ``six foot under''.
Making reference to the Clonoe, Louhgall and Coagh ambushes of IRA volunteers, they said that the men who gave them that information were still ``helping them'' and that Dungannon was, ``full of touts''. They then started naming local men.
The young man repeated that he had no information and after contacting a solicitor and his local Sinn Fein representative urged ``anyone who has been subjected to this type of treatment by the RUC, don't hesitate in contacting a solicitor and Sinn Fein.''