26/02/2002

Garda release two men without charge

Two men who were arrested by Gardai on Sunday in connection with the Omagh bomb investigation have been released from Carrickmacross Garda station.

The two men, who are believed to be in their 20s and from County Armagh and County Monaghan, were released without charge on Monday night.

The third man, reported to be from Dundalk, County Louth, is facing his second day of questioning at Carrickmacross Garda station.

Garda investigators must receive the assent of a judge in order to detain the man for a third day. Under the Offences Against the State Act, suspects must either be charged or freed within 72-hours.

The two freed men are among the 80 people who have so far been questioned and released without charge on both sides of the border since the investigation into the 1998 bombing of Omagh by the Real IRA began.

In the period since the Omagh bombing, Gardai have charged a total of 42 Real IRA suspects and 19 Continuity IRA suspects with a variety of terror-related offences.

However, Colm Murphy remains the only man to have been successfully prosecuted for his part in the Omagh bomb.

He was sentenced to 14 years in January for conspiracy to cause the Omagh explosion.

(GMcG)

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