03/04/2002
Police search for missing documents leads to US
Detectives investigating the theft of intelligence documents from Belfast’s police headquarters have followed the trail to United States to question a former employee at the Castlereagh station.
The man, it has been reported, left his job in the kitchens at Castlereagh a number of weeks before the incident took place.
During the incident a Special Branch officer was assaulted and documents taken when three men entered an office inside the Castlereagh complex, in the east of the city, on St Patrick’s Day.
The investigation team, which is being led by Detective Chief Superintendent Phil Wright, is now moving away from the possibility that the break-in was an ‘inside job’ – a view which was initially advocated by Sir Ronnie Flanagan. The former Chief Constable said last week that he would be “surprised” if paramilitaries or civilians were involved.
Two separate investigations into the incident are taking place - the police’s own investigation and an inquiry by former senior civil servant Sir John Chilcot who will report directly to Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid.
Special Branch deals with intelligence work, some relating to informers, and has a sensitive anti-terrorism role in Northern Ireland.
The Castlereagh Police Complex was for a time one of the main police holding centres for the interrogation of terrorist suspects. This role ceased when the holding centre was shut down at the end of 1999.
(AMcE)
The man, it has been reported, left his job in the kitchens at Castlereagh a number of weeks before the incident took place.
During the incident a Special Branch officer was assaulted and documents taken when three men entered an office inside the Castlereagh complex, in the east of the city, on St Patrick’s Day.
The investigation team, which is being led by Detective Chief Superintendent Phil Wright, is now moving away from the possibility that the break-in was an ‘inside job’ – a view which was initially advocated by Sir Ronnie Flanagan. The former Chief Constable said last week that he would be “surprised” if paramilitaries or civilians were involved.
Two separate investigations into the incident are taking place - the police’s own investigation and an inquiry by former senior civil servant Sir John Chilcot who will report directly to Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid.
Special Branch deals with intelligence work, some relating to informers, and has a sensitive anti-terrorism role in Northern Ireland.
The Castlereagh Police Complex was for a time one of the main police holding centres for the interrogation of terrorist suspects. This role ceased when the holding centre was shut down at the end of 1999.
(AMcE)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.