262 cases reviewed, a bill of £8m, and not a single charge

Local & National

Friday, August 17, 2007

By Chris Thornton

The PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team has gone back over more than 200 of the Troubles earliest killings without bringing any new charges, a government update has revealed.

But prosecutors are considering whether one case - involving a killing at least 35 years old - could be brought to court.

So far the HET, which is reviewing cases to provide information to families and search for new evidence, has cost more than £8m.

The exercise - set up nearly two years ago - is now about to undergo a "stock take review" by the Northern Ireland Office with about 3,000 cases still to be examined.

The HET's work could continue until 2015 and is expected to cost in excess of £30m.

Security Minister Paul Goggins has told MPs that the team, which is examining killings chronologically from 1969 to 1998, has reached 1972.

That means 262 cases from the first years of the Troubles have been reviewed so far.

No charges have been brought, although the Director of Public Prosecutions is currently considering one file submitted by the Historical Enquiries Team.

Convictions had already been secured in an unspecified number of those cases and they also feature the oldest available evidence.

A spokeswoman for the HET said the team "is working forward from 1969 looking at incidents as they arise because that is fairest to those families who have waited longest for information.

"The team seeks all available evidence and if it is of sufficient quality even after all these years then a prosecution file will be prepared for the DPP. One file is currently with the DPP."

But she said prosecutions are "not the principle measure of HET's work. The most significant outcome of HET looking at a case is the information it brings to families, many of whom simply want to know what happened to their loved one".

She added: "The way HET works is different to normal police investigations because in addition to seeking evidence the team devotes a major proportion of its resources to answering the specific and often very personal questions which relatives ask.

"HET has so far completed 262 cases and has shared the outcomes with 341 families. "

Government officials insist the NIO's review is unrelated to progress so far and does not have any implications for the immediate future of the HET.

But it is coinciding with the Government's search for a new way to deal with the legacy of the Troubles

In June, the NIO set up a consultation panel, headed by Lord Eames, the former Church of Ireland Primate, and ex-Policing Board vice chairman Denis Bradley, to propose ways to build "a shared future not overshadowed by the events of the past."

The terms of reference for the NIO's review have not yet been established, although Policing Board members have been told that it will take place.

A spokeswoman for the Policing Board said: "The Policing Board was recently advised by the NIO that the proposed stocktake of the Historical Enquiries Team would proceed, but that terms of reference were yet to be agreed.

"The Board welcomes the fact that the NIO has agreed to keep it informed on the progress of the stocktake. "

The NIO recently rejected a Board request for extra funding so the HET could tackle cases of UVF collusion that were highlighted by Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan in her report on the murder of Raymond McCord jnr.

Security Minister Paul Goggins told the Board he couldn't find the extra £1.5m a year to pay for the ongoing investigations.

The HET was set up in 2005 and unveiled at the start of 2006. Last year a collusion report claimed the HET "is not a sufficient vehicle to get to the truth."

But Police Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde defended the team, saying they would look at every case "thoroughly, impartially and professionally and where there are grounds for further investigation and prosecution appropriate action will be taken".