Police investigation into Omagh bombing atrocity ‘moving forward’
Even though nobody has been charged with any of the 29 murders, Professor Des Rea said a new report into the probe should provide confidence and assurance that the inquiry was moving forward. Issues of concern previously identified had now been fully addressed, he said.
After taking delivery of the report by Merseyside Deputy Chief Constable Mike Tonge in Belfast yesterday, Prof Rea said: “it is the board’s sincere hope that those who perpetrated this dreadful atrocity are brought to justice for their actions.”
Mr Tonge and another Merseyside officer, Det Chief Supt Phil Jones, were called in to examine resource and skill levels in the ongoing inquiry, which involved cross-border liaison with gardaí.
The Real IRA carried out the August l998 bombing which left 29 people dead, including a women pregnant with twins. The inquiry has been widened in a bid to apprehend the bombers.
Police believe the same gang was responsible for a series of attacks in the North in the weeks before the Omagh outrage. Detectives in the new police service headed by Chief Constable Hugh Orde are to stay in charge of the investigation.
The report said: “all parties within the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the associated agencies have proven to be helpful and constructive in support of moving this inquiry forward and maximising the intelligence and associated evidential opportunities.” But the report also claimed: “continued unwanted media coverage is a concern, and should it persist, has real potential to further undermine what is considered to be a viable investigative process.”
With his study completed, Mr Tong expressed his confidence that the Omagh killers could still be caught.
He said: “the search for those responsible for murdering 29 people and two unborn children has gained a new momentum.” The Merseyside police chief also stressed that any requests for information from the various intelligence agencies had been met over the course of his inquiries.
He said: “there’s no hiding the fact we have been able to open doors that perhaps in the past would not quite have been so open.
“I’m pleased to say I have not had a blockage in any area.
“Every request made has been granted,” he said.
