Northern Ireland’s police ombudsman Al Hutchinson will leave his job next year, he told a Stormont committee today.
He has been under pressure after the latest in a series of reports said he had lost the trust of senior colleagues and that his watchdog organisation was divided and dysfunctional.
The former Canadian police commander has faced calls for his immediate resignation, but he told the Assembly's Justice Committee he wanted to stay on until next June to implement reforms.
He said the timescale, which would see him leave earlier than his planned retirement date of December 2012, would also allow time for a replacement to be recruited.
The hard-hitting review by the Criminal Justice Inspection group said ombudsman reports into some of the most controversial murders of the Troubles had seen criticism of the police removed. It said he had lost the trust of senior colleagues and that his watchdog organisation was divided and dysfunctional.
But Mr Hutchinson said others had sought to attack him and the work of his office.
"After a decade of commitment to improvement of policing in Northern Ireland, I will not let those who want to undermine progress for their own narrow agendas to succeed in destroying this office or indeed in shaping its future to their own ends," he said. "I have therefore advised the Minister of Justice David Ford that my last day of work will be on June 1st, 2012."
Victims groups had demanded his resignation while Sinn Féin said anything short of an immediate departure would jeopardise efforts to salvage the image of his office.
The latest damaging review of his stewardship, compiled by Chief Inspector Michael Maguire, said: “Our overall conclusion is that the flawed nature of the investigation process in historic cases, the divisions within senior management, and concerns around the handling of sensitive material have undermined confidence in the work of the OPONI (Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland) among some staff and key stakeholders.
“These issues have led to a lowering of the operational independence of the OPONI. It is an urgent requirement that these issues are addressed in response to this report.”
The report found:
* Reports into atrocities from the Troubles, including the loyalist paramilitary bombing of McGurk’s bar in 1971 which killed 15 people, were redrafted with criticisms of the police removed.
* One member of staff said he believed there was an agreement for the office to remove criticism of RUC Special Branch in its reports.
* Concerns that intelligence information was not being properly presented to ombudsman staff.
* Assurances given by the ombudsman over the provision and analysis of sensitive material were “not believed” by some senior managers.
* It found “there have been serious divisions amongst senior management” affecting its work and staff morale.
* There was a “lowering of independence” in the ombudsman’s office.
* Senior ombudsman officials asked to be disassociated from investigation reports.
But Mr Hutchinson welcomed the report’s conclusion that he had largely succeeded in handling current police complaints.
On cases from the Troubles, Mr Hutchinson said of the findings: “I have now moved to address those areas of concern identified by the inspectorate in relation to the historical work undertaken by my office.
“I also particularly welcome the fact that the report places a spotlight on the larger issue of how society should deal with wider unresolved legacy issues arising from the Troubles.”
PA