Rabbitte wants inquiry into loyalist killings

Claims that an RUC informer was protected from prosecution, despite allegedly being involved in the murder of eight people, were raised in the Dáil yesterday.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte called for an independent inquiry into alleged police collusion in loyalist paramilitary murders. He said that once an investigation by the North's Police Ombudsman into circumstances of the murder of Raymond McCord, one of the victims, was published, there had to be an inquiry.

But Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Noel Treacy said because the investigation was at a sensitive stage, any comment on the possible establishment of an independent inquiry into this issue would be premature.

The investigation was established following a complaint from Raymond McCord snr alleging police misconduct into the circumstances of his son's murder, believed to be carried out by loyalist paramilitaries.

Mr McCord and family members sat in the spectators' gallery as Mr Rabbitte raised the issue.

The Labour leader said two of the gang members who carried out Raymond McCord's murder were special branch informers Mark Haddock and John Bond. They were also both allegedly involved in an attempt to bomb Sinn Féin offices in Monaghan.

Mark Haddock is now awaiting trial for attempted murder, "but there is no progress in any of the outstanding murder investigations". Mr Rabbitte added that "for almost eight years the investigation into the Raymond McCord murder has gone nowhere. His father is morally certain of who killed his son but the perpetrators enjoy immunity for their acts. The police need for intelligence has trumped the state's duty to protect the right to life."

He said that "Haddock was originally handled by Johnston Brown, a CID officer in the RUC. RUC Special Branch later took over the handling of informers.

Haddock is said to have been recruited as an informer after he murdered Sharon McKenna, a Catholic who was shot while visiting a friend in Mount Vernon in January 1993.

Since the McKenna murder and while serving as an RUC informer, Haddock has been associated with the murder of Gary Convie and Eamon Fox, Catholics shot on a building site in May 1994; Thomas Sheppard, an alleged informer shot in March 1996; the Rev David Templeton a Protestant clergyman who died in March 1997 after being severely beaten; Billy Harbison, handcuffed, beaten and left to die in May 1997; Tommy English, a former UDP politician, beaten and shot in October 2000; and David Greer, shot during a loyalist feud in October 2000."

Mr Rabbitte said the central allegation was that Mark Haddock, who ordered the murder of Raymond McCord, "was not charged with any crime because he was an informer who had to be protected. He was able to act with impunity, while the police effectively colluded in his crimes."

Mr Treacy said "the Government will continue to monitor development in this case very closely and will give its immediate and careful consideration to the Ombudsman's report and any recommendations that it makes, when it is published".