15 January 2005 (Withheld until early 16 January 2005 in Britain). Thanks to A.
Cryptome transcription of four images:
http://cryptome.org/psni-omagh.jpg (237KB)
Police Service of Northern Ireland: http://www.psni.police.uk/
Original images fuzzy; send errors in transcription to: jya@pipeline.com
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STATEMENT OF: D/CON 'W'
DATED: 23 DECEMBER 2001
TAKEN BY: D/INSP 'DI'
I am a Detective Sergeant of the Police Service for Northern
Ireland presently stationed at Strabane, Co Tyrone. On Tuesday
4 August 1998 I was a Detective Constable attached to the
Criminal Investigation Department at Omagh RUC Station. At
approximately 1000 am I was in the D/Sergeants Office when I
took a phone call. The caller was male and refused to identify
himself. From his voice I formed the opinion that he was 40-45
years of age and spoke with a County Tyrone accent. This man
related to me information concerning a possible attack on police
to be carried out on 15 August 1998. I recorded details of my
conversation with this man on rough notes I made on a piece of
paper during the telephone call. The call lasted approximately
10 minutes. I made a definite arrangement with the caller that
he would ring back to the station the following day, 5 August
1998 between 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm. I have been shown, by
D/Inspector 'BI', exhibit RP1 - "Intelligence Debrief Proforma (3
pages) and typed copy of same (one page)." This document was
not written by me. I have read this document and can confirm
that it is an accurate account of the information that I received.
It appears to be a direct lift of my original notes of the telephone
conversation which I subsequently handed to Special Branch in
Enniskillen. The comments numbered 1-6 are not mine.
Following the end of the telephone call I was concerned about
the information I had received. I had no reasons to think that the
caller was not genuine. I did not know any of the personalities
named by the caller and I was not in a position to may any
assessment on the information I had received from my own
personal knowledge. My first thought was to inform my senior
officer. None of the CID authorities in Omagh were available at
that time so therefore I rang d/Chief Inspector 'AB' at Enniskillen
RUC Station. I told him that I had received information which
was important and I needed to discuss with him. I did not go
into the details over the telephone. D/Chief Inspector 'AB' told
me to come to Enniskillen and brief him. After this I attended
Omagh Magistrates Court as I was investigating officer on a
case regarding the disposal of property which was listed. The
case was adjourned and I then drove from the Omagh
Courthouse to Enniskillen RUC Station. I would have arrived
there some time between 12 midday and 1.00 pm. I went to Mr
'AB's office and I briefed him fully on the information I had
received. Mr 'AB' told me this information would have to be
passed immediately to Special Branch. Mr 'AB' then
accompanied me to the Special Branch Office at Enniskillen.
Upon entering the Special Branch Office we met D/Sergeant
'AG' and one or two other Special Branch Officers whose
identity I cannot recall. I briefed these officers on the telephone
call I had received and the information the anonymous caller had
given. The Special Branch Officers seemed to have knowledge
of the personalities named in the information, namely MAN 'B'
and MAN 'C' and they told me that they were well known
smugglers. They also said that there had been previous
anonymous calls about these people and smuggling. There was
some discussion that this information was as a result of a fall
out among smugglers. I was in the Special Branch Office for at
least half an hour. During this time my recollection is that the
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Special Branch Officers checked their records which were
contained in the office. It was agreed between Mr 'AB' and
D/Sergeant 'AG' that I would write out my rough notes about
the telephone call legibly on a piece of A4 paper and pass it to
the Special Branch so that it could be put into the system. It
was also arranged that I would be present the following evening
at Omagh RUC Station with D/Constable 'AF' of Omagh Special
Branch to await the anonymous callers arranged return call.
Upon leaving the Special Branch Office I was satisfied that they
had given me a fair hearing and they were dealing properly with
the information I had received. The following day, 5 August
1998 I was present at Omagh RUC Station with D/Constable
'AF' in the Special Branch Office between 8.00 pm and 9.00
pm. I had arranged with the switchboard operator that all calls
for Omagh CID would be put into the Special Branch Office. No
call was received and I confirmed with the switchboard operator
that no calls had been received for CID between 8.00 pm - 9.00
pm. I am satisfied that I dealt properly and correctly with the
information I had received according to Force Instructions and
Mr 'AB's instructions. On 15 august 1998 I was on a period of
annual leave and at my home in Omagh. Some time after 2.00
pm and before 2.30 pm I travelled from my home with my two
young children. I cannot remember the route I took but I know it
was through the Omagh town center area. I went to watch a
football match at Mountjoy which is about three miles from
Omagh. Some time after 3.00 pm someone I don't know who
arrived at the football ground and told people there had
been a bomb explosion at Omagh. My immediate reaction was
to put the children into the car and drive to my home. It took
me some time to get home as there were severe traffic jams
around Omagh. At one of the diversions I spoke to Con 'CL',
and he told me that up to ten people had been killed. I was very
concerned to get home to ensure my wife was alright as I didn't
know where she was. When I got home and found that my wife
was safe and well I then went to Omagh Police Station and
placed myself on duty. I walked from the police station to the
scene of the bomb. At the scene of the bombing I spoke to both
the Deputy SIO and the SIO, told them briefly about the
information I had received on 4 August 1998 and that it may be
relevant. The SIO directed me to go and see Special Branch in
Omagh about the information and he sent D/Sergeant 'BT' with
me. D/Sergeant 'BT' and myself walked back to the police
station and we went to the Special Branch Detective Sergeants
Office. There were a number of officers there but I spoke to
D/Inspector 'AC'. I asked him about the information I had put in
the previous week about a possible attack on Omagh. He asked
me what information and when I explained it further he told me
that it wasn't relevant to the bomb that it was to do with
smugglers. D/Inspector 'AC' then produced a copy of the
document you have shown me, exhibit RP1. I asked him if I
could make a photocopy of the document and he allowed me to
do so. I then went back to the scene of the bomb and briefed
the SIO on what D/Inspector 'AC' had stated. I was then
involved on duty at the temporary mortuary, dealing with the
identification of the bodies by the relatives. Some time after the
bomb, approximately six months, I was contacted by telephone
by the Deputy SIO and asked to provide him with a copy of the
document intelligence debrief (RP1) regarding the anonymous
information which I did. About March 2000 I also made a
statement of evidence regarding my duties at the scene of the
bomb.
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STATEMENT OF: EX ACC 'CI'
DATED: 15 JANUARY 2002
TAKEN BY: D/INSP 'CO'
I am the aboved named person and reside at an address known to
the police. On 25 March 2001 I retired from the Royal Ulster
Constabulary after 32 years service. From 5 January 1998 until
my retirement, I was the Assistant Chief Constable in charge of
'E' Department otherwise known as Special Branch. I recall
that on Saturday 15 August 1998, I was at home when I learned
that a major explosion had occurred in Omagh as a result of a
'car bomb' and, as a consequence, many fatalities and casualties
had been inflicted. I immediately made telephone contact with,
amongst others, the Chief Constable and C/Ch Supt 'CF',
Regional Head of Special Branch, North Region which covers the
Omagh area. Having ascertained that he was returning off
annual leave to attend to matters as briefed by me, I then
immediately went along to RUC Headquarters where I continued
to liase with my senior management team within 'E' Department
and others, including the Force Command Room and remained at
HQs until 2330 hrs. On that date I ensured that all necessary
Special Branch resources were mobilised at Headquarters and
Regional level to provide the maximum level of support to the
investigation. On Sunday 16 August I returned to HQs and
spoke with D/Ch Supt 'CF' and senior CID personnel ref possible
arrests of local personalities in Omagh who were known to be
involved with dissident Republican groupings. In general, I
continued to direct the Special Branch effort on that day until
2330 hours. The following day, 17 August, I continued in this
liaison role, coordinating and directing 'E' Department's efforts in
support of the investigation. On Tuesday 18 August I convened
an extraordinary meeting of the Senior Management Group in 'E'
Dept, reference the Omagh Bomb. This meeting was attended
by my Regional Heads and the Head of the Intelligence
Management Group (IMG). During this meeting consideration
was given to ongoing actions and responses to the incident. On
18 August I travelled to Omagh and met with the Deputy
Divisional Commander, Supt 'EB' and the Deputy BDC, Ch
Inspector 'EC'. I assured them that a maximum effort was
ongoing within 'E' Department. I had a similar discussion with
the [?] SIO, D/Ch Supt and D/Supt 'CG', who had been
appointed as the SB Liaison Office to the Investigation. I then
travelled to Mahon road, Portadown where I met with D/Ch
Supt 'T', the then Regional Head of Special Branch, South
Region. I did so because the early indications emerging from the
investigation were that the South Armagh and North Louth
elements of the RIRA [?] were responsible for the Omagh Bomb. There
also had been a number of similar terrorist actions carried out by
RIRA [?], particularly within South Region eg at Lisburn, Newry and
Banbridge. As a result of which there were already a number of
ongoing 'E' Department operations within South Region. I also
wanted to assure that matters were being fully coordinated
between the Regions and HQs. I am aware that as a
consequence, regular meetings subsequently took place between
senior Special Branch officers from both North and South
Regions, with senior members of the Investigation team. I
understand that many of these meetings took place at Mahon
Road. On Friday 21 August 1998 I chaired another SMG at
which ongoing developments in respect of Omagh were
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discussed. There was also discussion about the government's
proposals for the 'post-Omagh Legislation' aimed at 'tightening
up' on terrorist groupings which had not declared a 'ceasefire'.
These proposals were quickly enacted in the Criminal Justice
Terrorism and Conspiracy Act of 1998. I recall that we also
considered a 'draft' report on the accountability of Special
Branch, which was being prepared for the Independent
Commission on Policing in NI, chaired by Chris Patten. the
Omagh Bomb Investigation continued to receive maximum
support from 'E' Department and I will regularly discuss same
with the ACC Crime, and the Task Force Commander, including
on the occasions when we met at the Chief Constable's weekly
Operations and Policy meetings. In the late summer of 2000,
being aware that a Review of the Omagh Bomb Investigation
was being conducted by the Reviewing Officer, I decided to
cause a parallel review to be conducted within 'E' Department. I
was aware that the Reviewing Officer's Review would examine
the intelligence within the Investigation which had emanated
from 'E' Department and other sources. I therefore considered it
an opportune time to review available intelligence within 'E'
Department to identify if any intelligence existed relevant to the
Omagh Bomb Investigation which could be further developed
either by Special Branch or CID. An Intelligence Review Group
was then convened, led by D/Ch Insp 'BG', operating within
Terms of Reference which I approved by way of a minute dated
11 September 2000. Copies of the relevant papers have been
produced to me marked PJW14. It was to report its findings by
27 October 2000, but in the event I believe the deadline was
extended to sometime in November 2000, when a report was
submitted to the Regional Head of SB in North Region, D/Ch
Supt 'CF'. I believe that it was also referred to South Region
where it had particular relevance. The gathering, analysing and
dissemination of intelligence was, of course, always the function
of Special Branch and during my period as ACC 'E' Department
this continued to be the case. A formal policy existed to
regulate these activities and this was developed post-Omagh
prior to the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory
Powers Act 2000 in October 2000. This, combined with the
associated Codes of Practice formalised the regulation of much
of Special Branch activities. From 15 August 1998 until my
retirement, I can state that the gathering of intelligence,
in an endeavor to bring those responsible for the Omagh Bomb
to justice, remained a priority for Special Branch and I constantly
strived to ensure that the Investigation received our maximum
possible support. For my part, in my discussion with other
agencies, including An Garda Siochana and the Metropolitan
Police reference dissident Republicans, I always made sure that
the Omagh Bomb Investigation remained on their agenda. In my
earlier service I worked and lived in Omagh and knew some of
the bereaved families personally. [Several lines redacted.]
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