Murphy denies cover-up claim

Murphy denies cover-up claim

The investigation followed the break-in at Special Branch offices

There will be no "cover up" in the investigation into the break-in at Castlereagh police complex last year, the Northern Ireland secretary has said.

Paul Murphy was speaking in the Commons on Wednesday after Ulster Unionist MP David Burnside claimed the secretary of state had already received a report by Sir John Chilcott into the incident.

Mr Burnside also claimed leading members of Sinn Fein were named in the report into the high profile break-in at the Special Branch office on 17 March last year.

An officer was assaulted and sensitive documents stolen during the raid.

Mr Burnside said: "It is my information that you have received the Chilcott report and it incriminates Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Bobby Storey, the head of information and intelligence in the IRA in Belfast and it appears to me there is a cover-up."

But Mr Murphy replied: "There certainly is no cover-up." He said he would issue the report in due course.

Later a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office said the sectretary of state had not received the final Chilcott Castlereagh report and pointed out the report was not about who did it.

Claims rejected

Sinn Fein assembly member Conor Murphy said his party knew nothing about the contents of the report into the Castlereagh break-in at hit back at Mr Burnside's claims.

"Burnside is a well-known conduit for bogus MI5 and Special Branch briefings including recent remarks he made around the unionist paramilitary murder of Ciaran Cummings in his constituency," he said.

"History has told us to be very sceptical about any remarks made by David Burnside."

On a number of occasions, the IRA said it was not behind the Castlereagh raid but security sources continue to link the organisation to the incident.

The IRA has blamed an element of British Intelligence.

Among the documents taken in the security breach was an index book listing the ranks, names and telephone numbers of Special Branch officers.

However, the information taken did not include their addresses.

Details on other officers not attached to Special Branch were also listed in the book.

Special Branch officers were briefed and told that the threat assessment following the breach was being upgraded.

Days after the breach, it emerged that the office was only moved to that room from another part of the building a week previously because the complex was being refurbished.

Special Branch deals with intelligence work, some relating to informers, and has an anti-terrorism role in Northern Ireland.

One of the main police centres for the interrogation of terrorist suspects was located at Castlereagh. It closed at the end of 1999.