Omagh widower accuses governments of holding back information

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday March 30, 2003 20:24 by robby

AN Omagh bomb widower has accused the British and Irish governments of covering up the truth about Real IRA massacre.

Laurence Rush claims the two governments are hiding key information from the public to protect a highly-placed undercover agent.

He claims London and Dublin would be severely embarrassed if the identity of the agent was made public.

Mr Rush's wife, Libby, was one of 29 victims of the August 1998 atrocity.

In the four years since the bomb, senior Garda officers have refused to meet with Mr Rush.

The Sunday Life can reveal that files on two Omagh suspects have disappeared from Monaghan Garda station.

Irish premier Bertie Ahern and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowan have also yet to set a date to meet with Mr Rush or any of the other families of the Omagh victims.

The inquiry into the Omagh bomb has been dogged by controversy.

Mr Rush claims fingerprint evidence exists in relation to the bombing.

He said: "I know the Garda have DNA evidence which could be used to trace the bombers.

"Why have the PSNI not been made aware of this?

"And why have DNA tests not been used in the Omagh investigation?"

He added: "I am convinced a cover-up exists in relation to the Omagh bomb.

"I want to know who the British and Irish governments are protecting and what their actual role was in the Real IRA bomb attack that killed my wife?

"I am entitled to know that. I also want to know why the Omagh bomb was allowed to happen?"

Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne has turned down a request from the PSNI officer in charge of the Omagh investigation to interview two senior Garda officers.