16th March 2003

---

O'Hagan Speaks Out On Nelson Killing

Speaking on the weekend which marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Human Rights Lawyer Rosemary Nelson, Sinn Fein Assembly member Dara O'Hagan said the 'only way in which the truth would be uncovered is through an independent judicial inquiry'.

Dr. O'Hagan said:

" It is now four years on from Rosemary's murder and it is clear that the current investigation is no closer to bringing anybody to justice. It has managed to determine that those loyalists directly suspected of involvement in the killing were also Special Branch Agents.

" Indeed one of the suspects is also a former member of the British Army. Due to the involvement of these individuals and their handlers in the intelligence services the current investigation was always going to be incapable of uncovering the truth.

" Rosemary's family along with Human Rights experts and indeed ourselves made this clear at the time of her murder. The time has now come for the British government to end the stalling and initiate the sort of independent public inquiry which is necessary to uncover the truth."

---

Sinn Fein Press Office, 44 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Tel: +353-1-8726100 and +353-1-8726839   ·   Fax +353-1-8733074
E-mail: sfpress@eircom.net   ·   Website: http://www.sinnfein.org

---

Sinn Fein   ·   Sinn Fein Documents

---