Former RUC and PSNI chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan has apologised for deficiencies in the police investigation into the Real IRA Omagh bombing that claimed the lives of 29 people, including a woman heavily pregnant with twin girls.
Sir Ronnie, in his first public comments since SeáHoey was acquitted of involvement in the bombing shortly before Christmas, last night said he "absolutely" and "publicly" apologised to the victims and the bereaved.
Sir Ronnie, however, insisted that he would not resign from his current post of chief inspector of the British inspectorate of constabulary. He made his comments to Channel 4 after he met English lawyer Victor Barker, whose son James was killed in the August 1998 attack.
Mr Barker, speaking ahead of the meeting, said that he was calling on Sir Ronnie to apologise for his overall leadership of the original Omagh investigation. He was also calling on Sir Ronnie, who oversaw the transition from the RUC to the PSNI, to resign from his current position.
When doorstepped by Channel 4 outside Mr Barker's offices last night, Sir Ronnie at first refused to say anything but when journalist Andy Davies persisted he made a number of brief comments.
"I absolutely publicly apologise to the families in Omagh. I feel desperately sorry that we have not to this point brought people to justice for that terrible attack," he said.
"I publicly apologise to all the families, and all the victims, and all those who suffered, without reservation," he added.
Freeing Hoey, Mr Justice Weir complained of a highly flawed investigation of the bombing. He also accused police of "deliberate and calculated deception". He spoke of "a most disturbing situation" whereby two officers had "beefed up" their statements concerning the atrocity. Had evidence not been available to "gainsay" the "lies" of these two police witnesses the court could have been deceived, he said.
Based on an earlier investigation, the former police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan was also highly critical of the RUC investigation of the bombing and of Sir Ronnie's role in the inquiry. She complained of defective leadership, poor judgment and lack of urgency. This prompted Sir Ronnie to say that were she correct he would not only resign but "publicly commit suicide".
"Of course as [ former] chief constable I have to take responsibility for the shortcomings that the judge highlighted, and I take responsibility for those shortcomings," said Sir Ronnie last night.
Sir Ronnie also said that low copy number DNA testing was not available in the initial investigation, and that the "handling procedures" at that stage did not take account of that new procedure, which was not available until late 2000.
