THE BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY/Day 260: British army's most senior surviving Bloody Sunday officer yesterday denied describing the day's events as "the best thing he had seen for a long time".
Gen Sir Robert Ford, who was commander of land forces in Northern Ireland, was alleged to be "lapping it up" during the 1972 Derry march in which 13 unarmed people died.
A conversation between two unnamed and unidentified army officers was the source of the allegations against the general.
Gen Ford told the Bloody Sunday inquiry in London: "Quite honestly there is no truth in what they said at all. It is highly emotional and exaggerated."
But extracts from the conversation read to the inquiry suggest that army officers knew innocent people had been shot.
The transcript referred to one soldier saying Gen Ford was "lapping it up".
The general was then asked whether he was "lapping it up".
He replied: "I was not." Asked by Mr Michael Mansfield QC about why he hadn't seen more of the incidents alleged to have taken place on Bloody Sunday, the general replied: "I cannot explain it."
Mr Mansfield asked the general to explain why 13 unarmed civilians were shot by paratroopers.
The general said: "I am not in a position to explain why 13 apparently unarmed people were shot by the paratroopers. It is obviously a long and complex problem."
The hearing was adjourned until Monday.