UK govt 'put Finucane inquiry on hold'

The British government put on hold 18 months ago preparations for a public inquiry into the controversial murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, it emerged today.

As she prepared for what will be her family’s final meeting with Bertie Ahern before he stands down as Irish Taoiseach next month, Geraldine Finucane, whose husband was gunned down by loyalists in his north Belfast home in 1989, revealed they had recently discovered a decision was taken Peter Hain to stop preparations for the inquiry.

Mrs Finucane said ahead of today’s meeting with Mr Ahern in Government Buildings in Dublin: “On April 7, 2008, my solicitor received a letter from the Northern Ireland Office, which stated that, 18 months ago in autumn 2006, a decision was taken by the then Secretary of State, Peter Hain, to cease all preparations for an inquiry.

“We were not informed of this decision at the time.

“The letter stated that the decision was taken because my family refused to accept ministerial control of an inquiry under the notorious Inquiries Act 2005.

“They appear to be saying that unless we agree that British government ministers should be allowed to control what information the inquiry is permitted to examine in public, there will be no inquiry at all.”

In 2003, former Metropolitan Police chief Sir John Stevens reported his investigative team had uncovered evidence that rogue elements in British Army intelligence and the Royal Ulster Constabulary colluded with the Ulster Freedom Fighters in the murder of Mr Finucane and a student, Adam Lambert two years earlier.

A year later retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory recommended to the British government that a public inquiry be held into the allegations of collusion in the murders of Mr Finucane as well as the killings of fellow solicitor Rosemary Nelson in 1999, Catholic father of two Robert Hamill in 1997 and Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright in 1997.

The Wright, Hamill and Nelson inquiries have all got under way.

However the Finucane Inquiry has been stalled because his family have objected to it being held under the Inquiries Act passed in 2005 because it enables British government minister to rule when an inquiry sits in public or private.

The family, the Government and Opposition, Sinn Féin, the nationalist SDLP, human rights organisations and Judge Cory criticised the Inquiries Act and called on the British government to hold a fully independent public inquiry as they believed would happen in 2001.

Mrs Finucane said the latest revelation had confirmed her doubts that the British government was ever really intended in having a genuinely independent public inquiry into her husband’s murder.

She said her solicitor had written back to the British government, asking if it planned to hold an inquiry or not.

“I want to be involved in an inquiry so that I can resolve the many issues surrounding Pat’s murder,” she said.

“I do not want to have to campaign forever. All I ask is that the inquiry is open and fair and that it is not controlled by the British government from behind the scenes.”

Mrs Finucane also commended Mr Ahern for supporting the family’s call for an independent public inquiry and urged his imminent successor as Taoiseach Brian Cowen to compel the British government to hold one.

In a statement, the Northern Ireland Office responded: “The Secretary of State (Shaun Woodward) takes the death of Pat Finucane extremely seriously.

“When the family met his predecessor (Mr Hain) they made it clear their opposition to an inquiry being held under the terms of the 2005 Inquiries Act.

“We are considering their most recent correspondence.”