23 October 1997 Edition
RUC talking through their hat
During last week's Roslea Martyrs commemoration march the RUC took personal details from nationalist marchers which they then claimed were lost when, during a scuffle with loyalists, the information ``fell out of an officer's hat''.
The RUC have since visited the homes of several people in the Fermanagh area who were on last Sunday's march and informed them that their lives could be in danger as the information had gone missing.
When challenged about the missing details by Sinn Fein councillor Gerry McHugh the RUC told a Sunday newspaper that the details ``fell out of an officer's hat'' and are most certainly in the hands of loyalists.
Sinn Féin Six County Chairperson Gerry O hEara described the RUC excuse as ``pathetic and unbelievable'' and said, ``it is almost laughable but for the fact that many nationalists in the past have been killed due to information passed on by the RUC.'' He called for the complete disbandment of ``this discredited force.''
The RUC have since visited the homes of several people in the Fermanagh area who were on last Sunday's march and informed them that their lives could be in danger as the information had gone missing.
When challenged about the missing details by Sinn Fein councillor Gerry McHugh the RUC told a Sunday newspaper that the details ``fell out of an officer's hat'' and are most certainly in the hands of loyalists.
Sinn Féin Six County Chairperson Gerry O hEara described the RUC excuse as ``pathetic and unbelievable'' and said, ``it is almost laughable but for the fact that many nationalists in the past have been killed due to information passed on by the RUC.'' He called for the complete disbandment of ``this discredited force.''