Fury at legal aid for Omagh suspects

Reports that two Omagh bombing suspects are being granted legal aid to fight a civil action against them were today condemned in the British House of Commons as “absolutely outrageous”.

Roy Beggs (UUP East Antrim) informed MPs of a motion tabled by MPs condemning the fact that – according to newspaper reports – Michael McKevitt and Liam Campbell were receiving legal aid at British taxpayers’ expense.

He said the pair were believed to be prominent leaders of the Real IRA and have become wealthy through terrorist crime.

The Real IRA’s bombing of the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 was Northern Ireland’s worst terrorist atrocity, in which 29 people and two unborn children were killed and hundreds injured.

No one has been charged with the killings, but families of those who died are taking civil court action against five men they believe to be responsible and seeking £10m (€15.4m) compensation.

Mr Beggs told MPs: “It is absolutely outrageous that legal aid should be provided for those suspected for being responsible for the murder of 29 people, and two unborn children and yet that private finance has got to be raised to support this who are victims of that crime and who only want justice through an unprecedented civil action.”

MPs should debate whether the current legal aid provisions needed amending so that suspects and victims were treated equally under the law, he added.

Commons leader Robin Cook told him it was a matter of principle that people had a right to be defended in court.

“In the event that they cannot afford this defence themselves, it is also right also that defence should be made available to them at the expense of the state”.

But he added: “You referred to these two accused people being wealthy.”

If anybody had evidence that they had not made a full declaration of their assets to the Legal Aid Board, they should share this with the board or police, he advised.

“Such a false declaration is not only cheating the Legal Aid Board it is, of course, itself a criminal offence.”