RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan and the Police Ombudsmandisagree over who ordered recent arrests in the Robert Hamill murdercase, it emerged today.
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Sir Ronnie Flanagan
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Sir Ronnie has claimed the arrests last month of seven people,including a reserve constable, were carried out on the direction ofthe RUC, not the Ombudsman Ms Nuala O'Loan, as she announced at thetime.
However, a spokesman for the Ombudsman insisted today: "The RUC didcarry out the arrests on the day but it was under our instructionsand under our direction."No-one was charged following the interrogations about the killing ofMr Hamill who was kicked to death by a loyalist mob inPortadown, Co Armagh in April 1997.
Mr Hamill's family have claimed that an RUC patrol was in full view of the attack but did not intervene.
Ms O'Loan's office came into being last November to investigatecomplaints about the police in Northern Ireland and it took overactive and direct supervision in the Hamill case soon after.
Last month her office issued a statement which said the arrestswere "carried out by RUC officers under the direction of PoliceOmbudsman personnel''.
However Sir Ronnie's monthly report to the Police Authoritycontradicted the statement.
Minutes of the authority's April meeting, released today, said: "TheChief Constable confirmed that arrests had been made on RUCdirections, rather than on the direction of the Police Ombudsman.''
PA