SF To Raise 'Damning' Allegations Over Secret RUC Forensic Teams

Sinn Féin is to raise the "damning" allegations with the Chief Constable, Policing Board and Ombudsman after it was revealed members of RUC Special Branch had handed over guns to state agents, used in as many as 60 killings.

Gerry Kelly MLA was speaking after revelations on the BBC Spotlight NI programme found that a secret RUC Special Branch forensic team WERC had withheld forensic reports from police inquiries, tampered with forensic evidence and handed weapons over to Special Branch agents which were later used in 60 killings.

Mr Kelly said he wants to know if there was ever any PSNI investigation into WERC's activities of tampering with forensic evidence, providing guns to Special Branch agents which were used in killings and then falsifying reports to the courts.

Mr Kelly said: "These revelations are further evidence of collusion by the British state in killings during the conflict and ongoing efforts to cover it up.

"We need to know is there any branch of the PSNI involved in any forensic work which is the exclusive remit of the Department of Justice's Forensic Science NI?"

(CD)