Two more Official IRA members are preparing to give evidence to the Bloody Sunday Tribunal, it emerged tonight.
Mr Kevin O'Donovan, the barrister representing some Official IRA men who have already come forward, revealed that a further two former members had issued statements to the Tribunal.
A total of eight Officials and six Provisionals have agreed to provide testimony about their activities on January 30th, 1972, when 13 unarmed civilians were shot dead by soldiers during a civil rights march.
Meanwhile, two former Official IRA members giving evidence today refused to reveal the names of colleagues present in Derry on Bloody Sunday.
The men - known to the Inquiry as OIRA2 and OIRA5 - were both challenged to help the Saville Inquiry by identifying individuals who were members of the Official IRA in January, 1972.
OIRA2 told the inquiry he was not prepared to name names: "It is well known in the public domain that the inquiry has called for former members of not only the Official IRA but other organisations to come forward.
"Whether people take heed of that is a matter for themselves. I am here in my capacity assisting this inquiry," he added.
Asked if he had sought to encourage others involved with the Official IRA at the time to give evidence, OIRA5 told the Inquiry that he did not see this as part of his task.
When Mr Gerard Elias QC, representing some of the soldiers, asked why the only people who had come forward were members of the command staff, he replied: "Because we were asked to."
OIRA2 had earlier told the inquiry that there were between 20 and 30 volunteers including command staff in the Officials at the time of Bloody Sunday.
Questioned by Mr Edwin Lawson QC representing some of the soldiers, OIRA2 refused to comment on claims that his comrade, OIRA1, had shot three soldiers shortly before Bloody Sunday.
Admitting that his colleague OIRA1 was "probably" an IRA sniper, he added: "I am here to answer questions about what I was doing on Bloody Sunday."
OIRA2 told the inquiry that he was with OIRA1, who fired a single shot at a soldier before members of the Parachute Regiment moved into the Bogside.
But he denied that this was the first shot fired on Bloody Sunday.
PA