Omagh Bomb - Exclusive

Omagh Bomb 12th Anniversary – Exclusive new information.










Need for a full public inquiry surrounding the investigation into the Omagh Bombing.







The Taoiseach Brian Cowen is coming under pressure to help establish a cross-border inquiry into the Omagh bombing by relatives of the victims.







Twenty-nine people - and unborn twins - were murdered in the 1998 Real/Continuity IRA attack.







Today is the 12th anniversary of the bombing and a memorial service will be held in the County Tyrone town.







Michael Gallagher, the spokesman for the victims whose son Aidan was killed in the explosion, wants Mr Cowen to step in.







Background:







On the 15th of August 1998, 29 innocent people, and unborn twins, were murdered when a terrorist bomb exploded in the shopping town of Omagh, County Tyrone. When the initial national and international out-cry about the atrocity had subsided, the security forces on both sides of the Irish border were left to establish who had committed the single greatest atrocity in the history of 40 years of terrorism.







Such was the knowledge about the terrorists who had led this murderous campaign that they were named publicly. They were named publicly so that those people who may be tempted to offer them succour or support could see who these people where and have no association with them. This public naming had no negative impact on the police investigation into the Omagh atrocity, to the contrary, once people knew who they were the security services received massive amounts of information that was helpful to their inquiries. Indeed it was this public naming and shaming that ensured that a successful Civil Action could be taken against those responsible by the victim’s families.







Soon the police on both sides of the border were certain about who had carried out the Omagh atrocity. The police were able to identify the mobile phone records used by the bombers as they made their way to plant their massive bomb. Soon after the Omagh atrocity the police both An Garda Siochana and the RUC (PSNI) knew the identity of the bombers.







In the Irish Republic one man and one man only would be prosecuted for his alleged role in the Omagh Bomb, that man Colm Murphy was tried and convicted and later had his conviction overturned as it was clear from the evidence of a Garda Forensic Officer that certain Gardai had tampered with Murphy’s statements. While Murphy was sent for a retrial Murphy was again acquitted. The question must then be asked why such an important investigation was treated in such a ham-fisted manner. Why were local detectives in Monaghan left to deal with a case that had such significance, why were the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation not dispatched to deal with a case of such magnitude.







In 2002 The Gardai in Monaghan Town went before Monaghan District Court and sought a Section 42 Warrant for the arrest of Vincent Mc Kenna, who was serving a 6 year sentence for sexual assault. The arrest warrant was sought in order to question Vincent Mc Kenna for his alleged role in the Omagh bomb. Mc Kenna was arrested and taken to Lucan Garda station where he was questioned for several hours. Senior Gardai admit that there is no evidence that Mc Kenna was ever associated with any dissident grouping and that he most certainly was never involved in any way manner or form with the Omagh bomb.







If the Gardai in Monaghan knew that there was not a scrap of evidence to suggest that Mc Kenna was connected or associated with dissidents groups or that he had any role what so ever in the Omagh bomb, why was Mc Kenna arrested. Why did a District Court Judge issue a Section 42 Warrant in such unwarranted circumstances? The Gardai would have had to present something to the Court to get a Warrant, but it would appear that the Gardai had nothing to present to the Court.







It is this bizarre behaviour by some Gardai that really cries out for a full independent public inquiry. Why the National Bureau was not brought into deal with Colm Murphy and other suspects and why did senior Gardai in Monaghan, seek and have issued a Section 42 Warrant against Mc Kenna. The Omagh bomb was an own goal for the ‘dissidents’, however, the handling of the Omagh investigation by some Gardai has given the dissidents space, a space in which to continue to peddle their lies that they had given clear warnings about Omagh and that in some way the security services were responsible for the Omagh atrocity. This space has allowed the dissidents to grow in strength and they now pose a serious threat to our communities with Omagh long forgotten by many and not remembered by the 16 year olds now being recruited by the dissidents.







We owe it to the victims of Omagh and their families to establish the truth in these matters, it is enough that we have had to bury our dead, lets not soil their memory by burying the truth.