A SOLICITOR representing an RUC officer murdered by the IRA has called for Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams to give evidence to the Smithwick Tribunal probing claims of Garda collusion in the 1989 murder.
Mr Adams told the Sunday Times that “gardai never colluded with the IRA”, and added: “There have been no suggestions by the British security forces, by anyone, of garda collusion.”
He was speaking after evidence which the IRA had given to the Smithwick Tribunal was read to a public sitting on Friday.
No IRA members came to present their evidence in person, nor did any of the three members who spoke to the tribunal sign the statements.
They claimed that they had no help in the murders, saying it was a “classic IRA operation” which had started from a snippet of intelligence developed into a murder bid by “hard, dogged work”.
No Sinn Fein politicians have given evidence to the Smithwick Tribunal so far, which is probing claims of collusion in the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan on March 20, 1989 in south Armagh – minutes after leaving a meeting at Dundalk garda station.
Banbridge solicitor John McBurney, who is representing the family of Mr Breen, said: “Gerry Adams is quoted as saying two things to the Sunday Times in the early paragraphs of the item. The first must be thoroughly probed and the second roundly challenged. He must surely now provide a detailed statement to the tribunal and appear as a witness.”