The Ulster Unionist Party’s Upper Bann MLA, Doug Beattie MC, has expressed his disgust at the BBC Hardtalk interview with Kieran Conway in which the former IRA intelligence officer claimed he had participated in a number of armed robberies in England, half a dozen commercial bombings, and 100 shootings including a number where soldiers were killed.
Mr Beattie, who is his Party’s Justice spokesperson, has also asked the Minister for Justice and the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) what action they intend to take following these revelations.
Doug Beattie said:
“The confessions of Kieran Conway, a former IRA intelligence officer, on the BBC Hardtalk programme, should have brought an instantaneous call from the Minister for Justice for the Public Prosecution Service and the PSNI to reopen any cases in which there was suspected involvement by Kieran Conway.
“Any unsolved murder of a British soldier or any unsolved bombing must be reopened and the immediate extradition of Kieran Conway must be applied for. He also clearly stated he knows the names of individuals who were involved in the Birmingham bombing. Withholding evidence is a criminal offence and he must be arrested for it. My concern is that his brazen behaviour may be down to the fact that he is in possession of a so-called ‘Comfort Letter’ or some other kind of guarantee that he is somehow immune from prosecution.
“I find it incredible that our Executive have stayed quiet on this issue and I would be staggered if the Minister for Justice has not been in contact with her counterpart in the Irish Republic in respect to this matter. Further to this I would expect the British Government to begin extradition proceedings in respect to the Birmingham bombings and for the Chief Constable to do all in his power to investigate the so called ‘war crimes’ that Kieran Conway has said he knows the IRA have committed.
“I believe the Chief Constable should make an immediate statement on this issue as should the Minister for Justice. In particular, if Kieran Conway is in possession of a so-called ‘Comfort Letter’ then the public must be told.”