Wright Inquiry Quizzes MI5 'Spook'

A government 'spook' whose own friends don't even know his true profession will be the first witness to testify as the Billy Wright Inquiry resumes today.

The serving MI5 officer will be known only as witness DO1 and is just one of three members of the Security Service who will appear at the tribunal.

All three will be anonymous and screened from the public when they give evidence in Banbridge's courthouse.

In his application for anonymity, the agent said some of his closest friends are not even aware he works for MI5.

The three are expected to be asked about intelligence, including perceived threats against Wright, around the time the LVF leader was murdered.

Billy Wright was shot dead in December 1997 by three INLA inmates who were housed in the same H Block of the prison.

Last week, in a report detailing the PSNI's inability to produce some evidence, the Inquiry revealed that a police informer was suspected of smuggling a gun to one of Wright's killers, Christopher 'Crip' McWilliams, in prison sometime before the murder.

The PSNI also told the inquiry the Special Branch agent is dead.

The inquiry's report detailed other major gaps in intelligence, including reports on the surveillance of known INLA leaders who were suspected of the plot.

The Security Service, along with the Army, had been seeking a restriction notice to prevent some documents being made public, while the in quiry was reluctant to do so.

They reached a compromise in which the evidence will be summarised and the original documents will not be produced.

Billy's dad, David Wright, did not raise any objections to the screening. He is known to be anxious to avoid any further delays in the inquiry, which is already running behind schedule.

The inquiry had been plagued by significant gaps in the documentary evidence, including the destruction of thousands of prison files. The Maze security files on Wright and two of his killers are among the missing documents.

See: Killer Gun Supplied By Police Agent: Wright Inquiry

(BMcC)