Sir Ronnie Flanagan has rejected calls for an outside officer to investigate the Omagh bombing and has said the Police Ombudsman’s scathing report into the subsequent investigation contains "significant factual inaccuracies".
The Chief Constable’s reply to criticisms contained in the report compiled by Police Ombudsman Ms Nuala O’Loan will be made public tomorrow but reporters have already seen the contents of Sir Ronnie’s extensive reply.
Angry relatives of the victims are expected to intensify demands for a full public inquiry when he meets them tomorrow.
An officer who headed the original inquiry, criticised by Northern Ireland by Ombudsman, is to stay in charge and will be advised by a senior Merseyside policeman.
The Ombudsman had recommended a team headed by a senior officer, independent of the police service of Northern Ireland, be set up.
Superintendent Brian McArthur, the former deputy senior investigating officer who has been running the inquiry for the last 18 months, is to remain in control working with the Merseyside detective.
According to Sir Ronnie, the outside officer will have unrestricted access as part of moves to "quality assure" the investigation.
Mrs O'Loan had also recommended a second outside officer be called in to investigate terrorist incidents linked to the Omagh outrage.
Sir Ronnie will meet families and survivors of the August 1998 outrage when he will hit back at the Ombudsman's claims of defective leadership and poor judgment.
He will tell relatives he is keeping a Northern Ireland officer in charge as he believes there is a difference between how terrorism is investigated in Ulster as opposed to the investigation of crime in England and Wales.
The Chief Constable will also agree that the investigative team should be given access to appropriate intelligence on the bomb, but will argue that consideration must be given to the sensitivity of information obtained by Special Branch through its network of informers. PA