Northern Ireland

Simon Byrne: 'Various parties' would have interest in asserting PII certificates linked to Police Ombudsman murder probe

Chief Constable Simon Byrne speaks to relatives after a meeting of the Policing Board yesterday. Picture by Mal McCann.
Chief Constable Simon Byrne speaks to relatives after a meeting of the Policing Board yesterday. Picture by Mal McCann. Chief Constable Simon Byrne speaks to relatives after a meeting of the Policing Board yesterday. Picture by Mal McCann.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne has suggested that "various parties" could have an interest in asserting public interest immunity certificates when asked about a delayed Police Ombudsman investigation into a series of loyalist murders in south Belfast.

Mr Byrne made the comments after an unplanned meeting with relatives of the dead after a Policing Board session in Belfast yesterday.

The publication of a major report into the murders has been delayed after queries were raised by the PSNI last month.

Operation Achille has examined the killing of 12 people and one attempted murder.

The victims include five people shot dead by the UDA at Sean Graham Bookmaker's on Belfast's Ormeau Road in February 1992.

Collusion is strongly suspected in some cases.

PSNI fact checking of the the draft ombudsman report was to be completed by August.

However, it was revealed last month that the PSNI has now referred "to a potential issue of a Public Interest Immunity (PII) certificate and Closed Material Proceedings (CMP)" in correspondence with the Police Ombudsman's office.

PII certificates are sought when the state believes it may not be in the public interest to disclose information.

This can include the role of state agents and informers.

CMPs include presenting sensitive information to a court without all parties being present.

During yesterday's encounter Bosco Kennedy, whose 15-year-old brother James was shot dead in the bookmakers, asked Mr Byrne "why do you need a PII certificate if it's an illegal organisation that carried out the murders".

In response Mr Byrne said: "Just to talk in general terms, that certificate can relate to a number of things where it's not just maybe the police service that can have an interest in relying on proceedings, so there are other people we all know that worked here to protect society at the height of the Troubles."

"So there are various parties that would apply or assert the need for it," he added.

Mark Thompson from Relatives for Justice last night called on the chief constable to clarify his remarks.

"Are you now telling us that you are acting in applying national security under public interest immunity, and secret courts, under closed material procedures, on behalf of other intelligence agencies that were here including the British army and MI5 and agents and agent handlers that were involved in these killings?" he asked.

Meanwhile, Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson has asked the PSNI "to provide further clarity....about the likely impact" of the PII certificate and CMP on the Operation Achille report by close of business today.

“I have asked the police to provide me with clear and unequivocal reasons as to why the public interest is served by the exclusion of certain information from my public statement," she said.

"I will give careful consideration to these submissions when I receive them.”