Documents 'destroyed' in Billy Wright tribunal

A public inquiry into the assassination of loyalist leader Billy Wright has been informed that thousands of documents have gone missing or been deliberately destroyed.

A lawyer for his family made the claim and as the tribunal set up to probe alleged state collusion in the murder began public hearings, lawyers revealed difficulties in securing vital documents from police, prison and intelligence services.

Wright, who led the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), was murdered by INLA prisoners inside the Maze Prison in December 1997. He was being escorted from his cell in a prison van when the gang climbed over the roof of the H-block into the prison yard.

He was shot several times and pronounced dead within an hour and three INLA prisoners were later convicted of the killing.

Senior counsel for the inquiry, Derek Batchelor QC, said they had experienced delays and difficulty in recovering documents and records.

He also revealed the police had been issued four formal notices to hand over documents to the inquiry dating back to November 2005, but only this month had the inquiry received a substantial volume of papers.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Lord MacLean, said they are expecting to involve up to 180 witnesses.

Lord MacLean said: “I said in December 2005 that the inquiry had exercised its powers under the Inquiries Act 2005 and served notices in accordance with Section 21 of the Act.

“That process has continued over the last 18 months and may not yet be over.”

He added: “Although hearings start today, the inquiry’s investigatory work is still not complete.

“This is due to a number of factors, not least the speed at which material has been provided to the inquiry, particularly from the Police Service of Northern Ireland.”

The LVF leader’s father David Wright has claimed the murder was a result of collusion and challenged Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain’s decision to carry it out under the Inquiries Act instead of the original Prisons Act.

It is understood the inquiry may last for up a year.

(JM/KMcA)