January 30, 2011 37

EXCLUSIVE COPS REFUSE TO HELP MARTIN McGARTLAND

COPS have ‘gagged’ former

STONEWALLED
RUC Special Branch agent
Martin McGartland from seek-
ing information about his mur-
der bid case.
Northumbria Police are refusing
to answer any further questions
posed by McGartland about his
IRA would-be killers.
The force – which has
yet to charge anyone
with trying to kill the
spy in 1999 – claims his
requests under the
Freedom of
Police say ‘No’ to
Information were “vex-
atious’’.
But McGartland has hit
back at Northumbria
Police stating his FOI
info for spook spy
requests were genuine
attempts to get to the
By JOHN CASSIDY there is no requirement to
respond to continued
truth about the attempt requests where the subject
on his life. Somebody tried to kill me matter has been declared
“This is just and I am still trying to find as vexatious.
Northumbria Police try- out who did this. “As you have clarified that
ing to gag me. But it won’t “Within a few hours of you do not want an internal
work,’’ said McGartland me getting shot, review of the responses you
from his secret hideaway Northumbria Police were have been provided, those
address somewhere on quick to release informa- requests are now classed as
mainland Britain. tion to the media saying closed.
this was a local dispute, a (Northumbria Police ref-
Recovered fall out with drug dealers. erences: 0817/10, 0819/10,
“All I want is for It was absolute rubbish. 0820/10 and 0834/10).’’
Northumbria Police to “They had to retract that McGartland – who was
tell me the truth about pretty quickly afterwards codenamed Agent Carol by
what happened that day. because it was totally libel- his RUC Special Branch
It is not a lot to ask, is it? lous and they had to pay handlers – said he would
“You would think that m e continue his quest for
after almost 12 years they answers.
would be able to tell me LET THE TRUTH OUT: RUC Special branch agent Martin McGartland has been stonewalled by the Northumbria Police
who tried to kill me and Involved
why. “I don’t believe I am

“They say it could have
been republicans, but I
wanted to know was
what is their definition of
republican? They won’t
answer that question
either.’’
In December last year,
McGartland sent
Northumbria Police (NP)
a list of 17 questions he
wanted answers to.
Among the questions
were:
●had NP recovered the
getaway vehicle;
●the total cost of the
NP investigation over the
previous 12 months?
●did NP asked Scotland
Yard’s Anti Terrorist
Branch for assistance in
the investigation?
●Have any suspects
been identified by DNA
or familial DNA?
●Has NP been able to
identity any suspects
from CCTV footage.
Said McGartland:
“These are all reasonable
requests for information.
£20,000 in damages plus
my costs.
“Everybody knows it was
the IRA who tried to kill
me. They held a long stand-
ing grudge against me.’’
But despite his requests
for further information,
Northumbria Police are
refusing to divulge any fur-
ther information.
In a letter to him, the
force’s FOI department
said: “You were not sup-
plied a response to your e-
mail dated 14th January as
WIN
being told the whole
truth about my case. I
have always believed
there was political
interference in my
case because the IRA
was involved during a
sensitive time in the
peace process.’’
Meanwhile the
Public Prosecution
Service is reviewing its TICKETS TO TO THE CHINESE STATE CIRCUS - MULAN
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‘CHICO’ LOSES
A CONVICTED IRA man who helped abduct
RUC spy Martin McGartland has lost a pri-
vacy case with the Press watchdog against
the Sunday World.
sion of information to the security forces.
“The newspaper in this instance has
repeated these allegations…our client’s
Article Right to Life has been infringed.
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Former bodyguard to Gerry Adams Paul
‘Chico’ Hamilton moaned to the Press
Complaints Commission through his
lawyers that we had infringed his privacy
and his right to life.
They claimed this breached Article 2 and
Article 3 of the European Convention on
Human Rights which has been abused by
terrorists and criminals for their own ends.
The complaint related to an article pub-
lished in the Sunday World last October
under the headline of ‘AGENT ABDUCTORS
WON’T FACE DOCK’.
It reported that ‘Chico’ Hamilton and Jim
‘Filter Tip’ McCarthy wouldn’t stand trial for
abducting McGartland in August 1991 fol-
lowing a decision by the Public Prosecution
Service.
McGartland said he believed the reason
was because McCarthy and Hamilton were
British security agents, claims both men
strenuously deny.
In his letter to the PCC, ‘Chico’s lawyers
penned: “The allegations contained in the
newspaper article put our client’s life at
immediate risk.
“Unfortunately there is a history of attacks
on people allegedly implicated in the provi-
“Furthermore his right to privacy has been
interfered with.’’
The PCC investigated Hamilton’s com-
The Sunday World has teamed up with Belfast
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the article was in breach of Article 1
Waterfront to offer you a chance to win one of
(Accuracy) of its code, as a result Clause 2
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It added: “The Commission acknowledged
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“The Commission noted that the article
did indeed include the complainant’s denial your name and address or call 0901 2930 39318
that he had been an agent working for the
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Provos have both denied McGartland’s
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“With these points in mind, the cannot be exchanged or transferred. SP Phonovation,
Commission considered that the newspaper
was entitled to publish these allegations and PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0870
could not establish a breach of Clause 3 0600322.No cash alternative. Usual Sunday World
(Privacy) of the Code of Practice.’’
terms and conditions apply.