White’s claims on Omagh have ‘no foundation’

ALLEGATIONS by Detective Sergeant John White that gardaí ignored crucial intelligence in advance of the 1998 Omagh bombings have been unequivocally rejected by an investigation group.

In an edited version of the Nally Report published by the Department of Justice last night, the investigating group concludes that Det Sgt White may have wished to “raise a smokescreen designed to confuse juries trying charges against him”.

The report states that there was a direct connection between the difficulties he found himself in with his superiors in the Garda Síochána and with the criminal law, and the making of his allegations concerning the Omagh bombing.

It concludes there is “no foundation” to Det Sgt White’s claims that a Real IRA informer told him in advance of the 1998 attack about a car which was to be used in a bombing but that on passing this warning on to a senior officer, it was never passed to the RUC.

Det Sgt White has also been implicated by the Morris tribunal in the planting of a shotgun in a Travellers’ camp and the planting of a hoax device on a telecommunications mast.

Last year, Det Sgt White was acquitted of perverting the course of justice and of making false statements and was recently acquitted of planting the shotgun in the Travellers’ camp.

The Nally Group, headed by the former Secretary to the Government Dermot Nally, was appointed in April 2002 to examine matters arising from the “Report raising concerns of the activity of An Garda Síochána officers during 1998”.

The report states that the allegations made by Det White were never passed onto the named individuals or anyone else prior “to his being aware that he was subject to investigation”.

“Indeed it is clear from what he said to the group that he made no allegation or mention whatever of his concerns to any person, not even his wife, until after his arrest on 21 March, 2000.”

It adds that Det Sgt White’s assertion that he was motivated to make the information available by a sense of responsibility to the victims is “inherently incredible”.

Last night, the Department of Justice said it was only making an edited version of the report available to allow for the removal of elements unrelated to the detective’s allegations.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said he was making the information available in advance of a Dáil debate on garda accountability.