12 July 2001 Edition

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Finucanes family insists on public inquiry

With talks taking place in Staffordshire and media speculation that the British government may meet demands on a number of inquiries into allegations of security force complicity, the family of assassinated Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane have reiterated that they will accept nothing less than an independent public inquiry.

One of the issues under consideration is the potential to involve the Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan by extending her powers to enable her to look into the killings of Rosemary Nelson, Pat Finucane and Robert Hamill.

Speaking on behalf of the Finucane family regarding this option, Martin Finucane said, ``We emphatically reiterate our position that what we are calling for is a full public judicial inquiry - nothing less. This is what we have always said was required based on the evidence of British government collusion that has come to light, and our demand should not be conditional on any changes to policing. The three cases of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson and Robert Hamill have been deliberately dragged into the negotiations around policing as a result of the British government's failure to implement Patten. Justice is not negotiable because the inquiries into these outstanding cases need to happen regardless of any other issues. They are stand alone issues that must be addressed.

``We welcome the support of the SDLP, Sinn Féin and the Irish government in supporting us and calling for an inquiry, but we wish to stress that any attempt to shirk their responsibility by using the call for an inquiry as a bargaining tool should be rejected and derided for the cynical ploy it really is. This family does not consider that an issue such as the State-sponsored murder of any person should be allowed to be used as a political trade-off with the British government.''


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