HAIN DECISION ON FINUCANE ENQUIRY WITHHELD FOR 18 MONTHS

by CelticNews | April 30, 2008 at 06:55 am | 98 views | add comment

The duplicity of the British government in its dealings with the family
of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane were exposed last week when it
was revealed that that 18 months ago, the British government put on
hold preparations for a public inquiry into the controversial murder
of Belfast lawyer. At the time the 'stewardship' of the Northern Ireland
Office was in the hands of, now discredited, British politician Peter
Hain, who was recently forced to resign as a government minister
following an election funding scandal

Prior to a meeting last week with An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, Pat
Finucane's widow, Geraldine Finucane, told the media:

"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.

"I have long doubted whether the British government had any real intention
of ever establishing a genuinely independent public inquiry into Pat's
murder. This letter confirms my worst suspicions," she said. "They
have misled my family, the Irish government and they have misled the
European Court of Human Rights."

The Irish government have expressed their support for the Finucane
family in their attempts to have a fully independent public enquiry
into the Pat Finucane murder.

Mrs Finucane used the opportunity provided by the meeting with An
Taoiseach to commended Mr Ahern for his support for the family's call
for such an inquiry and she urged his imminent successor as Taoiseach
Brian Cowen to compel the British government to hold one.