The family of Co Derry GAA administrator Seán Brown, who was murdered by the Loyalist Volunteer Force, has altered its previous stance and now agreed to co-operate with the PSNI investigation into the killing - but with certain conditions.
Seán Brown, aged 61 and from Bellaghy, was abducted by the LVF as he was locking up the local GAA club and murdered in May 1997. The Police Ombudsman, Mrs Nuala O'Loan, in a report last January found there were "significant failures" in the original RUC investigation.
She accused officers of making "no earnest effort" to find his killers and said that, while police did not receive full co-operation from the local community, their investigation was "incomplete and inadequate". Her report said there was no evidence of collusion between the RUC and LVF.
The PSNI Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, accepted the report's findings, apologised for the police failures and launched a fresh investigation.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, welcomed the Brown family's decision, and said he was glad to assist and support the family through his officials being involved with the advisory group dealing with the case.
The victim's widow, Bridie, lodged complaints via her solicitors about the police handling of the case in January 2001.
Last January the Brown family expressed no faith in the new inquiry and said an outside force rather than the PSNI should mount the investigation.
But now the Brown family has come to an agreement with the PSNI and Mr Orde whereby the PSNI will investigate the killing, but none of the original investigating officers will be involved.
The victim's son, Damian, outlined the agreement: "In light of the disturbing information regarding the original investigation, we called for an outside police force to carry out any new investigation. Having carefully considered our very limited options and our pressing need to have this matter resolved without resort to a lengthy legal battle, we have reached the following agreement with the Chief Constable Hugh Orde.
"A new team will investigate the murder of my father. The team will include detectives transferred from British forces and will be advised by an external senior detective from Britain. No officer will have had involvement in the original investigation. No officer will be included who is, or has been, a member of C3 (police intelligence) or Special Branch.
"The investigation will have full access to all intelligence relevant to the murder of Seán Brown."
