Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has received information from the Government which calls into question Gerry Kelly’s version of events as to how he distributed letters from the Government to so-called ‘On The Runs.’
Lord Empey said;
“Last week we were told that Gerry Kelly acted in the role of postman for the ‘On The Run’ letters and Kelly himself stated that ‘Let me make it very clear that I don't know, and there is no name for a recipient so I don't know who the letter is to, or what it's about. It is now public knowledge that my name was on most of these letters as a conduit for Sinn Féin."
“In effect Gerry Kelly was saying that he had no idea who he was supposed to hand them to.
“However, the answers which I have just received from the Government contradict Mr Kelly’s version of events.
“The Government state that ALL letters were clearly marked for named individuals and sent to Sinn Fein. Therefore Gerry Kelly MUST have known who the letter was addressed to as the NIO was relying on Sinn Fein to know where the individual resided.
“The actual quote from Baroness Randerson is as follows
“These letters were sent via Sinn Féin between 2000, when the scheme was established by the previous Government, and 2012. These letters were clearly marked for an individual by name and sent to Sinn Féin, accompanied by a covering letter. As the names were provided by Sinn Féin and the NIO were not aware of addresses for these individuals, Sinn Féin were expected to pass on the individual letter to the named recipient.
“This entire saga of letters of comfort for OTRs has brought the local justice system into disrepute. Justice was corrupted by the Blair Government in its attempts to appease Sinn Fein due to fears that not to do so would risk the peace process itself.
“It is intolerable that the Police cannot investigate certain crimes or question certain individuals, From the John Downey case to the murder of Gareth O’Connor in 2003 it is quite clear that the justice process has been tainted by these letters.
“I would call on Gerry Kelly and Sinn Fein to come clean on the full nature of their role in delivering these letters but I’m not even sure they would recognise the truth if it was staring them in the face.”
Notes to Editors
Question:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they issued letters for the benefit of "on the runs" other than to a specifically identified individual at a specific address. (HL4606)
Tabled on: 02 February 2015
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
1. To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, and by whom, letters were dispatched to those individuals deemed to be "on the run" informing them that there were not currently being sought by police. (HL4603)
Tabled on: 02 February 2015
2. To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any letters indicating that an individual was not being sought at that time by police were signed and issued without the name of a specific individual at a specific address being present on the document. (HL4604)
Tabled on: 02 February 2015
3. To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they asked a third party to deliver letters indicating that an individual "on the run" was not being currently sought by police; and if so, who that third party was. (HL4605)
Tabled on: 02 February 2015
Answer:
Baroness Randerson:
Lady Justice Hallett found that 156 ‘on the runs’ were sent individual letters by Government departments informing them they were not wanted: two by Downing Street and 154 by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). These letters were sent via Sinn Féin between 2000, when the scheme was established by the previous Government, and 2012. These letters were clearly marked for an individual by name and sent to Sinn Féin, accompanied by a covering letter. As the names were provided by Sinn Féin and the NIO were not aware of addresses for these individuals, Sinn Féin were expected to pass on the individual letter to the named recipient.
The total number of ‘on the runs’ considered by the administrative scheme and the outcome of their cases are set out in some detail in Chapter 7 of the Hallett Report. Examples of letters issued under the administrative scheme, including examples of the individual letters and the covering letter to Sinn Féin, can be found at Appendix 8 of the Hallett Report.