Orde denies saying Bloody Sunday probe a waste

THE North’s Chief Constable Hugh Orde yesterday denied claiming the Bloody Sunday tribunal was a waste of money.

He told relatives of some of the 13 people shot dead in Derry that remarks last month about the January 1972 shootings were intended to trigger a debate about the pressure officers in his under-resourced force would face if they had to investigate unresolved murders stretching back more than 30 years.

Afterwards Mr Orde said: “I made it clear that I never said Derry (the Saville Inquiry) was a waste of money.”

Yesterday’s hearing in London, the 307th day of the investigation, was postponed after Lord Saville was unable to attend.

An inquiry spokesman said: “It was for personal reasons, and the tribunal will resume again on Monday.”

Lord Saville’s investigation is expected to cost about stg£155 million. Hearings are due to return to Derry later this year and it will be mid-2004 at the earliest before his report is ready.

Relatives of some of the victims criticised Mr Orde for his remarks to the Financial Times, when he claimed the tribunal was unlikely to satisfy the families or any of the other groups involved.

He was quoted as saying: “Apart from making lawyers millionaires, will it satisfy the families? I don’t think so.” After his meeting yesterday, the Mr Orde said he understood the families’ feeling of hurt.

He said: “It was never my intention to cause personal upset. With something like 2,700 murders unresolved, it was an attempt to try and start a discussion on how we can bring about some sort of closure of events of the past and at the same time satisfy families and relatives. I think the families understood that and they gave me a very fair hearing.”

Relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims said they had accepted the Chief Constable’s explanation.

But Kay Duddy, whose brother Jackie, 17, was among those killed, warned him against leaving himself exposed again.

She said: “As far as Hugh Orde is concerned, this has been laid to rest for the meantime. He didn’t apologise for his comments but he apologised for what he said being misrepresented.”

Ms Duddy described the meeting as “dignified and to the point”, with Mr Orde stressing he was prepared to talk with other relatives who refused to attend at any time in the future.

She added: “I told him in future he should not allow anything he says to be misrepresented.”