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| Top officers are named in Commons | Top officers are named in Commons |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| SDLP leader Mark Durkan has named three former heads of Special Branch who he said failed to cooperate with a Police Ombudsman investigation. | SDLP leader Mark Durkan has named three former heads of Special Branch who he said failed to cooperate with a Police Ombudsman investigation. |
| Using parliamentary privilege he identified them as Chris Albiston, Raymond White and Freddie Hall. | Using parliamentary privilege he identified them as Chris Albiston, Raymond White and Freddie Hall. |
| But Mr Albiston said they had given information to the ombudsman and had offered to answer specific questions. | |
| Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman found officers colluded with loyalists behind over a dozen murders in Belfast. | Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman found officers colluded with loyalists behind over a dozen murders in Belfast. |
| Her report said several high-ranking officers refused to cooperate with the investigation into collusion. | Her report said several high-ranking officers refused to cooperate with the investigation into collusion. |
| However, Mr Albiston added: "What we were not prepared to do was to be led into making statements in a form designed by the ombudsman, because we know the form of that office. | |
| "We have seen as the result of previous inquiries the way that those who try to help can be frustrated and indeed we know of three officers who appear to have tried to help the office and ended up finding themselves being arrested." | |
| Mr Albiston said for 18 months after supplying information the Special Branch officers heard nothing from the ombudsman and were not given the chance to respond to the allegations made against them. | |
| 'Regret' | |
| In the Commons, Prime Minister Tony Blair said the government deeply and bitterly regretted any collusion that had taken place on behalf of anyone working for Special Branch in the RUC in the wake of the ombudsman's findings. | In the Commons, Prime Minister Tony Blair said the government deeply and bitterly regretted any collusion that had taken place on behalf of anyone working for Special Branch in the RUC in the wake of the ombudsman's findings. |
| During prime ministers' questions on Wednesday, Mr Durkan described collusion as "a fact not a myth". | During prime ministers' questions on Wednesday, Mr Durkan described collusion as "a fact not a myth". |
| Nationalists have called on the former Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan to resign from his post as Head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. | Nationalists have called on the former Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan to resign from his post as Head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. |
| But Sir Ronnie said on Tuesday that he had no knowledge of any collusion when he was chief constable of the RUC in the 1990s. | But Sir Ronnie said on Tuesday that he had no knowledge of any collusion when he was chief constable of the RUC in the 1990s. |
| Mr Durkan said Sir Ronnie had presided over an "anything goes, nobody knows" culture in Special Branch. | Mr Durkan said Sir Ronnie had presided over an "anything goes, nobody knows" culture in Special Branch. |
| The SDLP leader asked: "Is it not a disgrace that three former heads of Special Branch failed to cooperate with the Police Ombudsman's investigation - Chris Albiston, Ray White and Freddie Hall - but two of them now attack her report and her office?" | The SDLP leader asked: "Is it not a disgrace that three former heads of Special Branch failed to cooperate with the Police Ombudsman's investigation - Chris Albiston, Ray White and Freddie Hall - but two of them now attack her report and her office?" |
| The ombudsman is briefing the Policing Board | The ombudsman is briefing the Policing Board |
| Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan briefed the Policing Board on Wednesday on her findings. | |
| A Sinn Fein delegation is expected to call for action from the Irish government during a meeting later with Irish Foreign Minister Dermott Ahern. | A Sinn Fein delegation is expected to call for action from the Irish government during a meeting later with Irish Foreign Minister Dermott Ahern. |
| In an interview on the BBC's Spotlight programme on Tuesday, Sir Ronnie dismissed calls for his resignation as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. | In an interview on the BBC's Spotlight programme on Tuesday, Sir Ronnie dismissed calls for his resignation as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. |
| "I reject that as chief constable it would have been easy or possible for me to know all that is going on in relation to the handling of informants within one unit, of one paramilitary organisation, in one geographical area of Belfast," he said. | "I reject that as chief constable it would have been easy or possible for me to know all that is going on in relation to the handling of informants within one unit, of one paramilitary organisation, in one geographical area of Belfast," he said. |