British continuing to cover up truth, say Finucanes

The British government is continuing to cover up the truth about the death of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, his family said today.

In a statement the family said today's statement from Northern Secretary Mr Paul Murphy was "very disappointing but expected".

Mr Murphy the British government would be pressing ahead with inquiries into three controversial killings, following the publication of the Cory reports.

Public inquiries are to be set up immediately into the murders of loyalist terror boss Billy Wright, Catholic father of two Robert Hamill and human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson.

However, an inquiry into the fourth and most controversial case of all, the murder of Mr Finucane, will only get under way once criminal prosecutions finish later this year.

"The British Government continue to cover up the truth about the death of my husband with their delaying tactics," Mrs Geraldine Finucane said.

"We did not ask for the Stevens investigation. We did not ask for Justice Cory to prepare a report and we certainly have never asked for prosecutions. We have always said that these were delaying tactics and the delay continues.

"But the campaign for a public inquiry will also continue.

"Justice Cory's report confirms that there was a State policy of targeting and assassination. The public should read the details in his report. It is unbelievable but the official documents that he examined show that it is all true."

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, welcomed the three inquiries being set up immediately  but said he was "very disappointed with the decision of the British government to delay action on the Judge's recommendation that a public inquiry be established quickly inot the circumstances of the murder of Pat Finucane."

In his report on Mr Finucane, Judge Cory warned against delaying an inquiry and said it might be one of the "rare situations" where a public inquiry "will be of greater benefit to a community than prosecutions".

He said evidence he had considered from a mass of official documents "clearly indicate to me that there is strong evidence that collusive acts were committed by the army (Force Research Unit), the RUC Special Branch and the Security Service."

"Without proper scrutiny, doubts based solely on myth and suspicion will linger long, fester and spread their malignant infection throughout the Northern Ireland community."

It was for the Attorney General to decide on prosecution, but it was extremely difficult to hold a public inquiry at the same time as a prosecution, said the judge.

Delaying the inquiry would be a bitter disappointment to the Finucane family and a large segment of the community, he added.

"The Finucane family will be devastated. A large part of the Northern Ireland community will be frustrated."