THE GOVERNMENT should order an investigation into a claim that a Garda officer may have helped target an IRA murder victim over 20 years ago, the Democratic Unionist Party has said.
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said his party would be contacting the Coalition after evidence to the Smithwick Tribunal raised questions over the murder of Co Louth farmer Tom Oliver.
In July 1991 the father of seven was kidnapped, tortured and shot dead by the IRA, before his body was dumped north of the Border at Belleek in Co Armagh.
There was outrage at the time of his killing and his family rejected allegations he had been passing information on republicans to security forces in the Republic. But a former British agent testifying at the Smithwick Tribunal into alleged Garda collusion in the murder of two senior RUC members in 1989, also indicated that a Garda officer had identified Mr Oliver to the IRA.
Mr Donaldson said his party now planned to lobby the Irish Government on the murder of Mr Oliver following the claims of the agent known as Kevin Fulton.
“Based on the evidence that Kevin Fulton gave to the Smithwick inquiry, I believe that there have been new revelations that need to be examined to determine whether they would assist the police in apprehending those who were responsible for the murder of Tom Oliver,” he said.
“I am calling on the Irish Government to initiate a review by the Garda of the police investigation south of the Border and also involving the PSNI.”
He said a review of the murder investigation in the south, and of the circumstances of the discovery of the murdered man’s body on the northern side of the Border, may determine whether a Garda officer had helped initiate the killing.Mr Donaldson confirmed his party would be pursuing the issue: “We are taking it up with the Irish Government.”
The Smithwick Tribunal is investigating alleged Garda collusion in the murders of RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan in south Armagh in 1989. – (PA)