Flanagan to accept main points of Omagh report

Sir Ronnie Flanagan is set to accept the main recommendations of the Ombudman’s damning report into the Omagh bomb inquiry.

But he is expected to strongly deny claims in the report that he and other senior officers had been guilty of a lack of leadership and letting down the families of the victims.

The Northern Ireland Chief Constable and his aides are making the finishing touches to his response and is expected to give it to the Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan, the new Police Board and the Secretary of State John Reid tomorrow.

He will travel to Omagh on Thursday to present it personally to the relatives of the victims of the Omagh bombing.

It is believed Sir Ronnie will accept the main recommendations of the Ombudsman’s report that there were many faults in the investigation of the Real IRA atrocity in which 29 people and unborn twins were killed.

This may go some way to defuse the highly public row between Sir Ronnie and Mrs O’Loan, which flared when the report was released late last year.

The main recommendations of Mrs O’Loan’s report included a review of Special Branch, appointment of senior officers from an outside force to take over the Omagh investigation and the provision of all relevant future intelligence to CID officers.

Her report castigated Special Branch for failing to pass on to senior detectives in Omagh details of two warnings received before the bombing on August 15, 1998.

Sir Ronnie is expected to repeat his assertion that an undercover agent known as Kevin Fulton, who passed on the first message, lacked credibility in relation to terrorist activity.

A senior source said: ‘‘The Chief Constable has already commended the recommendations and admitted there were problems with the original investigation.

‘‘He has already said he is going to bring in a person from an outside force to look at it,’’ he said.

The Ombudsman’s report was based heavily on an internal review carried out by Derry-based Chief Superintendent Brian McVicker.

His report identified a number of deficiencies in the Omagh investigation, including the failure to follow up key witness statements and the ‘‘retrospective creation’’ of a number of documents.

Mr McVicker was quoted in a Sunday newspaper saying: ‘‘I was fully supported by the chief constable in my review and I believe it was well received. I know some aspects of it were implemented but I don’t know if it all was.’’

In his angry response after the Ombudsman’s Report was issued, Sir Ronnie said it was full of ‘‘misunderstandings and unwarranted assumptions’’.

He claimed the internal review was misused by the Ombudsman’s office to back up erroneous and predetermined conclusions.

Sir Ronnie and the head of crime and intelligence Assistant Chief Constable Raymond White are still considering taking legal action as a result of the criticism in the Ombudsman’s report.

‘‘He is still in consultation with his legal people but a lot depends on the Ombudsman’s response and the response of the Policing Board and the Secretary of State,’’ added the source.