The head of the police investigation on the infamous IRA spy, known as Stakeknife, has criticized MI5 for obstructing his inquiry. Victims’ families have praised his report, which exposes the collaboration between the British government and the IRA in acts of murder.
Jon Boutcher slammed efforts to discredit him and his investigation, revealing that the secret services’ tactics have led to delays. He also stated that agent Stakeknife likely caused more harm than good while working for the British government.
Before he could face charges for his alleged crimes, Freddie Scappaticci, the publicly identified IRA enforcer known as Stakeknife, passed away at the age of 77 last April. Stakeknife was accused of committing brutal acts of torture and murder while serving in an IRA enforcement unit, and was also believed to be a British secret agent.
According to Boutcher, the progress made by the prosecution service in Northern Ireland has been extremely slow, and he is unable to reveal the identity of agent Stakeknife at this time. However, he did reveal that files containing strong evidence of significant criminal activity by Scappaticci, a resident of west Belfast, were passed on to prosecutors in Northern Ireland prior to his passing.
In October 2019, Boutcher initially attempted to present evidence regarding Scappaticci to the authorities. However, it is impossible to determine if he would have faced prosecution and, if so, if he would have admitted guilt or been found guilty at trial. In my opinion, he had the potential to be charged and should have been.
“I am confident that we have uncovered compelling proof of severe criminal behavior by Mr. Scappaticci, and pursuing charges against him would serve the best interests of the victims, their families, and the pursuit of justice.”
At a media briefing in Belfast, he stated: “The identity of Stakeknife has been revealed to Operation Kenova, but I am obligated to maintain confidentiality and cannot disclose his name without proper authorization.”
So far, the government has denied granting this authority, and therefore Stakeknife is not mentioned in this preliminary report. However, in my opinion, this stance is no longer acceptable. I anticipate that the government will allow Kenova to reveal Stakeknife’s identity in the final report.
Kevin Winters, who represents 12 families of victims, said there needed to be a public inquiry into the state level of penetration of the IRA and claimed Scappaticci was “not the only Stakeknife”.
He stated: “The unsettling finding is that the state and the IRA worked together to conspire in the killings of its own people.”
1,000 witness testimonies and 50,000 pieces of evidence were gathered over a span of seven years for the police investigation referred to as Operation Kenova. Unfortunately, the outcome has not led to any charges, but the report released on Friday revealed concerning proof of the government’s involvement in murder and potential efforts to hinder the pursuit of justice.
A study was conducted on 101 homicides linked to the IRA’s “nutting squad,” a division led by Stakeknife, who was in charge of questioning and torturing individuals suspected of sharing intelligence with the authorities. Informants involved in the investigation revealed that Stakeknife may have played a direct role in 14 killings and 15 kidnappings.
It reported that:
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The army’s claim that Stakeknife saved “hundreds” of lives was “implausible”, “rooted in fables and fairy tales” and should have rung “alarm bells”. He said it was probable that the handling of Stakeknife “resulted in more lives being lost than saved”.
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According to reports, Stakeknife participated in “extremely serious and entirely unjustifiable criminal activities, including taking lives.”
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The security forces were aware in advance of multiple murder cases, but chose not to intervene in order to safeguard their sources.
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Boutcher experienced frequent and difficult conflicts with the secret services. He was compelled to participate in multiple meetings with MI5 to express his worries about their limitations on information access, their classification of some documents as “top secret,” the unusual access given to solicitors representing former security personnel, and his belief that they were intentionally delaying action.
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In October 2019, Operation Kenova attempted to provide evidence files to prosecutors regarding the involvement of Scappaticci and members of the security services in crimes including murder, abduction, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. However, they were informed by MI5 that the security for the building had expired, preventing them from proceeding. The evidence was ultimately submitted in February 2020.
Boutcher, a former chief constable of Bedfordshire police who has recently become chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, published his “interim” report on Friday due to the slow progress of prosecutions and the families’ need for information after so many years, he said. He described the IRA’s actions as “the most shameful evil I have encountered”.
The report suggested that the UK government and republican leaders recognize and express regret for their shortcomings.
The British government stated that there would be no detailed commentary on the Kenova investigation until a final report is released.
Sinn Féin’s deputy leader, Michelle O’Neill, expressed regret to the families of the victims and acknowledged that republicans cannot deny the pain and harm caused during the Troubles.
At his press briefing, Boutcher acknowledged the respect shown by the families of the victims. He stated that the Kenova team, under the leadership of retired Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, is now able to move forward with its concluding report.
When asked if the army or secret services are currently operating agents like Stakeknife, Boutcher stated that he does not believe it is possible under current procedures in the UK.
The report refuted rumors that Scappaticci may still be living and deemed claims that Stakeknife, a highly valued spy, had met with Margaret Thatcher and other government officials and had visited Chequers as “outrageous nonsense.”
Boutcher suggested that June 21, the day with the most sunlight, be recognized as a day to honor and commemorate those who have been lost, injured, or affected by the Troubles.
Last week, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute seven alleged IRA members and five former soldiers who worked with the army’s Force Research Unit, which was responsible for running agent Stakeknife. Three of the soldiers had been handlers and the other two were more senior.
Source: theguardian.com
