27 May 1999 Edition
Back issue: Gibraltar lies exposed by Madrid
The British government's lies about the shoot-to-kill deaths in Gibraltar have been finally and conclusively exposed by the Spanish police officers who were forbidden to speak at the Gibraltar inquest. The Madrid government, which 15 months ago forbade them to testify, is now threatening that the issue could damage diplomatic relations with London.
The British story at the inquest into the deaths of Sean Savage, Mairead Farrell and Danny McCann depended on one crucial lie - that the three Volunteers had not been followed by the Spanish police before they crossed the border into the colony on the day they were shot, leaving the British authorities unprepared. The three were shot because their SAS killers `believed' that there was a bomb in an empty white Renault car which they had left in a Gibraltar car park and that the three might `detonate' it at any time.
But senior police officers have finally been allowed by the Madrid government to tell the truth about the matter. The three were carefully followed in a complex surveillance operation which was carried on right up to the border with Gibraltar and the British were kept fully informed.
The British were also told that there was no bomb.
The British story at the inquest into the deaths of Sean Savage, Mairead Farrell and Danny McCann depended on one crucial lie - that the three Volunteers had not been followed by the Spanish police before they crossed the border into the colony on the day they were shot, leaving the British authorities unprepared. The three were shot because their SAS killers `believed' that there was a bomb in an empty white Renault car which they had left in a Gibraltar car park and that the three might `detonate' it at any time.
But senior police officers have finally been allowed by the Madrid government to tell the truth about the matter. The three were carefully followed in a complex surveillance operation which was carried on right up to the border with Gibraltar and the British were kept fully informed.
The British were also told that there was no bomb.