Former RUC chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan today denied having any knowledge of collusion between his officers and a loyalist terror gang in Belfast when he was in charge.
Former RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan
Yesterday's devastating report by Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan found that
RUC Special Branch officers colluded with UVF gang members responsible for many murders in Belfast during the 1990s.
There have been calls for Sir Ronnie to step down from his post as Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary following the report.
The former chief constable released a statement in which he said: "In relation to the Ombudsman's investigation . . . I at all times fully co-operated with their staff, as I of course would with any of their investigations.
"I utterly refute any suggestion, as has been misrepresented in some of the media coverage, that I was in any way evasive or unhelpful. On the contrary, at no time during the investigation, or since, did any member of the Ombudsman's staff express to me any reservations about my personal action or conduct in any post that I held.
"With respect to the specific matters dealt with in the Ombudsman's report, at no time did I have any knowledge, or evidence, of officers at any level behaving in the ways that have been described," Sir Ronnie said.
"I would find such conduct to be abhorrent, and if such behaviour took place my hope would be that it would be the subject of criminal or disciplinary proceedings. I particularly welcome the recommendation that the dreadful crimes described are to be re-examined.
"It is my earnest hope that evidence can yet be uncovered to bring the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice and I fully endorse, and add my personal apology to, Sir Hugh Orde's apology to relatives that this has not yet been achieved," he added.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said "He [Sir Ronnie] met with the Police Ombudsman's investigation but was unable to assist her investigation. He should not be heading up the Inspectorate of Constabulary. He should resign."
However, the Northern Secretary, Peter Hain said last night: "The Ombudsman is not . . . pointing the figure particularly at Ronnie Flanagan . . . obviously everybody concerned will have to account for their responsibilities, and that will take a bit of time to work through."