Sunday World in apology to MLA

A SUNDAY newspaper has issued a public apology to Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly arising from false allegations made against him in articles published 15 years ago.

In an apology read in court, the Sunday World admitted it had been wrong to claim Mr Kelly was the IRA chief of staff with responsibility for ending the IRA ceasefire in 1996, and that he had engaged in a liaison with a US diplomat for ulterior motives.

The North Belfast MLA received an undisclosed sum after settling the action against Sunday Newspapers Ltd.

Oisin Quinn SC, counsel for the newspaper, said his client “acknowledges that both articles were wrong” and “apologises to Gerry Kelly for the upset that the articles caused”.

The first article was published on February 25, 1996, and the second appeared in the Sunday World on December 1, 1996. The latter suggested Mr Kelly had a liaison with Martha Pope for ulterior motives. She was the chief aide to US senator George Mitchell while he was special envoy for the North.