Trimble sues for libel as book sold on Internet

The North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, has begun libel proceedings against Amazon UK, which sells through the Internet Sean McPhilemy's book The Committee, which alleges a senior unionist and RUC conspiracy to murder Catholics. In a separate development, solicitors acting for most of the families of those killed or wounded on Bloody Sunday have initiated libel proceedings against the Daily Telegraph over an article it carried on Friday.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Trimble said he had instructed solicitors Henry Hepworth to take a case against Amazon UK because it is selling via the Internet The Committee: Political Assassination in Northern Ireland. The solicitors said the book contained a "number of malicious, untrue and unsupportable allegations against Mr Trimble, including that he has been involved in sectarian murders".

His lawyers added: "The book's author and American publishers made a conscious decision not to offer the book for sale in bookshops in the UK. However, Amazon are now actively promoting the book on its website, to the extent of highlighting Mr Trimble's alleged sectarian crimes.

"Although the allegations are baseless and beneath contempt, Mr Trimble has had to recognise that through the actions of Amazon they are gaining wide circulation within the United Kingdom."

Mr Trimble said false accusations about one's character were always unpleasant and distressing. "As a politician I am forced to bear the burden of many lies that arise out of my being in political office. The magnitude of the horrendous allegations made about me in the book are such that I cannot ignore them. "As much of the false allegations damage my reputation, they belittle the peace process and mock all those who have been a part of it," he said.

A number of others mentioned in the book are also taking libel cases. The book followed from a Channel 4 programme in 1991 alleging a high-level murder conspiracy against Catholics. The book, which was published in the United States, is not openly being sold in Britain or Ireland.

Indicating why Mr Trimble was not suing the American book publishers, Roberts Rinehart, Mr James McCue of Henry Hepworth said the "USA constitution effectively prevents a `public figure politician' from bringing a libel action in the USA.

"However, now that Mr Trimble has become aware that the book is being sold within the United Kingdom it has become critically important that he takes these proceedings to prevent the unchallenged publication of libels which are so damaging to those he represents, to the honour of the Nobel peace prize and to his own reputation," said Mr McCue.

Meanwhile, solicitors Madden and Finucane has issued proceedings against the Telegraph Group Ltd over a comment in last Friday's Daily Telegraph relating to Bloody Sunday. The case is being taken on behalf of most of the families whose relatives were killed or injured in Derry 27 years ago.