6.3.05

Sunday Business Post

John White's Omagh story

06 March 2005
By Barry O'Kelly

Garda John White was facing criminal charges when he first made his claims about a security lapse leading up to the Omagh bombing. He claims that the bomb was allowed to be transported into the North to protect the man who secured the getaway car, informant Paddy Dixon.

It has also been claimed that the RUC ignored a tip-off from another informant about the bombing. Further claims involving a third informant are expected to be made during the Omagh civil action.

White's allegations were originally viewed with suspicion because of the charges he was facing. However, he has since been tried and acquitted of six corruption charges relating to his work in the Donegal Garda division.

He is still facing a separate charge which is the subject of a legal challenge in the High Court.

Two years ago, the North's Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan's investigators interviewed White. They are believed to have accepted his account as accurate.

However, three retired civil servants, the so-called Nally Committee, appointed by justice minister Michael McDowell, have since concluded that they could find no basis for the claims.

They maintained that they were unable to interview the man who is living under the garda-run witness protection scheme.

McDowell has refused to publish the committee's report because he claims it would prejudice the court case against White.

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