Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims expressed deep disappointment yesterday after the inquests hearing was told gardai would not give evidence.
Ms Gemma Loughran, counsel to the coroner, Mr John Leckey, told the hearing that the coroner had written to the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, informing him of the inquests.
Mr Leckey's letter of June 7th said: "I am aware that the Garda assisted the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the subsequent investigation and because of that I am considering whether it would be appropriate for one of your officers to give evidence at the inquest in addition to officers from the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
"My own view is that it would be desirable for one of your officers to give evidence as I am sure the families would wish to hear direct from the Garda Siochana in addition to the Royal Ulster Constabulary."
A reply, dated July 10th, was received from the Garda Commissioner's office, signed by Insp P.J. Mullen. It said: "I am directed by the commissioner to inform you that subsequent to your request . . . for a Garda officer to give evidence at the Omagh bomb inquest, it is felt that it would not be appropriate for gardai to give evidence at this point in time.
"With a prosecution pending in this jurisdiction, we would not wish to compromise Garda testimony in any way prior to any court sitting."
Mr Leckey repeated yesterday that he would have wished to hear Garda evidence. Mr Michael Gallagher, a spokesman for the relatives, said: Garda, the RUC and everyone else. "We were extremely disappointed when we heard the news this morning," he added. "We had heard so much of the good co-operation between the gardai and the RUC on the investigation, and this was the first tangible way of proving that co-operation. We were led to believe that this was a 32-county investigation and therefore we think there should be participation by the gardai."
Father Shane Bradley, speaking for the families of two young Buncrana victims, said they were also disappointed that the gardai had not accepted the coroner's invitation. There would be a gap in the proceedings, a sense of incompleteness, if the gardai did not participate.