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Answers needed in McColgan case says Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly

Questions need answered: Sinn Féin assembly member Gerry Kelly
Questions need answered: Sinn Féin assembly member Gerry Kelly Questions need answered: Sinn Féin assembly member Gerry Kelly

A PROMINENT Policing Board member has said the PSNI and British government have questions to answer over the murder of Catholic man Danny McColgan.

Sinn Féin assembly member Gerry Kelly made the comments as senior coroner John Leckey prepares to deliver the findings of an inquest into his murder today.

The 20-year-old was shot dead by the loyalist UFF as he arrived for work at a postal office in Rathcoole, on the outskirts of north Belfast, in January 2002.

No-one has ever been charged in connection with his murder.

Mr Kelly last night said it has “become clear that both the British government and the PSNI have many questions to answer including the involvement of state agents”.

“These questions need to be answered not only into the murder of Daniel McColgan but also the other killings that were carried out in the area in the same period,” he said.

“I will continue to raise these matters so that the whole truth into the collusion by state forces and unionist death squads is made public.”

A series of disturbing revelations were made during the inquest, which concluded last week.

During the hearings it emerged that bullet casings collected from the murder scene have been lost and that one of the murder weapons, a stolen 9mm Beretta handgun, "most likely" belonged to an RIR member.

It has also been revealed that two bullets fired from the Beretta were issued to the RUC and had been “stolen police issue firearms”.

Claims were made that searches connected to the murder were of little concern to loyalists as “they had someone inside Newtownabbey police station”.

During the hearing it emerged that UDA member Stephen McCullough, who offered to provide information about the murder, was released from police custody without being questioned.

He was found dead at the foot of Cavehill in north Belfast in unexplained circumstances hours later.

It was revealed that a retired Special Branch officer linked to the McColgan investigation could face prosecution for conspiracy to murder as part of a probe into the police handling of UVF agent Gary Haggarty.

During the inquest it was claimed former detective constable Douglas Buchanan was a Special Branch liaison assigned to work with the team investigating the murder of Mr McColgan and attended case conferences.

He is one of two retired Special Branch men referred to the Pubic Prosecution Service by police ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire.