27 February 1997 Edition
Lurgan taxi driver threatened
Last Saturday 22 February, in the latest in a series of incidents, the RIR stopped a Lurgan taxidriver near Craigavon and made threats on his life.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the same RIR soldiers who have been waging a campaign of harassment and threats against him (see An Phoblacht 20.February) stopped him in his cab last Saturday afternoon and threatened him.
``They asked me how long was it since Sam Marshall (shot dead by Loyalists in 1990) was killed. They then said that Michael McGoldrick (a taxi driver killed by loyalists outside Portadown during the Drumcree crisis last year) `didn't last long'''. The RIR man then pointed to his face and head, as if he was holding a gun, and said `bang bang'''. ``Michael McGoldrick was shot in the face and head, I see this as a clear reference to his killing,'' the taxi driver said.
During the incident the RIR constantly abused the Lurgan man and naming a number of Portadown loyalists they said, ``they have been asking about you because they haven't seen you in Portadown recently'' and when the man refused to sign the search record for the RIR they said they would get `Billy' to sign it.
``Of course I'm worried about this constant harassment'', said the man, ``I record the incidents with my solicitor, but it just goes on''.
Meanwhile Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey has accused the British army of ``petty harassment'', after British soldiers stopped and detained party President Gerry Adams and a party colleague in Norfolk Drive in West Belfast on Tuesday morning 25 February.
``The detention was petty and aimed at disrupting Mr Adams political and constituency work in the run up to the election,'' Maskey said. This is the latest incident involving crown forces stopping and detaining senior Sinn Fein officials.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the same RIR soldiers who have been waging a campaign of harassment and threats against him (see An Phoblacht 20.February) stopped him in his cab last Saturday afternoon and threatened him.
``They asked me how long was it since Sam Marshall (shot dead by Loyalists in 1990) was killed. They then said that Michael McGoldrick (a taxi driver killed by loyalists outside Portadown during the Drumcree crisis last year) `didn't last long'''. The RIR man then pointed to his face and head, as if he was holding a gun, and said `bang bang'''. ``Michael McGoldrick was shot in the face and head, I see this as a clear reference to his killing,'' the taxi driver said.
During the incident the RIR constantly abused the Lurgan man and naming a number of Portadown loyalists they said, ``they have been asking about you because they haven't seen you in Portadown recently'' and when the man refused to sign the search record for the RIR they said they would get `Billy' to sign it.
``Of course I'm worried about this constant harassment'', said the man, ``I record the incidents with my solicitor, but it just goes on''.
Meanwhile Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey has accused the British army of ``petty harassment'', after British soldiers stopped and detained party President Gerry Adams and a party colleague in Norfolk Drive in West Belfast on Tuesday morning 25 February.
``The detention was petty and aimed at disrupting Mr Adams political and constituency work in the run up to the election,'' Maskey said. This is the latest incident involving crown forces stopping and detaining senior Sinn Fein officials.