North of Ireland : Hain decision on Finucane enquiry withheld for 18 months
The duplicity of the British government in its dealings with the family of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane were exposed last week when it was revealed that 18 months ago, the British government put on hold preparations for a public inquiry into the controversial murder of Belfast lawyer. At the time the 'stewardship' of the Northern Ireland Office was in the hands of, now discredited, British politician Peter Hain, who was recently forced to resign as a government minister following an election funding scandal.
Prior to a meeting last week with An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, Pat Finucane's widow, Geraldine Finucane, told the media :
"On April 7, 2008, my solicitor received a letter from the Northern Ireland Office, which stated that, 18 months ago in autumn 2006, a decision was taken by the then Secretary of State, Peter Hain, to cease all preparations for an inquiry.
"We were not informed of this decision at the time. The letter stated that the decision was taken because my family refused to accept ministerial control of an inquiry under the notorious Inquiries Act 2005. They appear to be saying that unless we agree that British government ministers should be allowed to control what information the inquiry is permitted to examine in public, there will be no inquiry at all.
"I have long doubted whether the British government had any real intention of ever establishing a genuinely independent public inquiry into Pat's murder. This letter confirms my worst suspicions," she said. "They have misled my family, the Irish government and they have misled the European Court of Human Rights."
The Irish government have expressed their support for the Finucane family in their attempts to have a fully independent public enquiry into the Pat Finucane murder.
Mrs Finucane used the opportunity provided by the meeting with An Taoiseach to commended Mr Ahern for his support for the family's call for such an inquiry and she urged his imminent successor as Taoiseach Brian Cowen to compel the British government to hold one.
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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
29/04/08
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