Police officer from another force to join Nelson team

The RUC Chief Constable has announced that a senior police officer from another force is to join the team investigating the murder…

The RUC Chief Constable has announced that a senior police officer from another force is to join the team investigating the murder of Ms Rosemary Nelson.

Sir Ronnie Flanagan said that the Chief Constable of Kent, Mr David Phillips, and FBI representatives would retain their role of oversight on the case. The new officer, who will take up his post soon, would "direct, control and command" the day-to-day investigation.

The announcement came yesterday as several hundred people congregated outside Belfast City Hall to hold a vigil in memory of the solicitor and to demand an independent inquiry into her murder.

According to Sir Ronnie, the new officer will be "ever present and ever visible" in the North, unlike Mr Phillips, who cannot maintain a constant presence because of other commitments. RUC officers will continue to conduct the day-to-day murder investigation, he added.

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Ms Nelson was killed two weeks ago from injuries she received when a booby-trap device exploded under her car as she drove away from her Lurgan home. The loyalist dissident grouping, the Red Hand Defenders, later claimed responsibility.

"I have been open at the outset and would be open now to a totally independent team of investigators if I thought for a second such an approach would be likely to bring about a successful result in this investigation," Sir Ronnie said. "A totally independent investigation would seriously reduce the chance of success in this matter," he added.

The RUC chief said people not interested in bringing Ms Nelson's killers to justice had launched a "disgraceful campaign" against the force. However, he agreed there were some "legitimate concerns" and these would be fully investigated.

A crowd of almost 400 stood outside the City Hall yesterday in pouring rain to observe a two-minute silence in memory of Ms Nelson. Flowers were laid in front of her photograph as a lament was played on the tin whistle.

Speaking from the platform, Mrs Elish McCabe, of the human rights group, Relatives for Justice, described Ms Nelson as a "voice for the voiceless" and said Sir Ronnie should continue to be challenged into holding a full, independent, international inquiry.

She called on the Irish Government to support the campaign for an independent inquiry launched last week by more than 150 community and human rights groups, North and South.

Mrs Liz Groves, a community activist working with nationalist residents in Belfast, said there had been an angry response to Mr David Trimble's suggestion that republicans had carried out the attack on Ms Nelson.

"We are angry that we had to listen to David Trimble's suggestion that renegade republicans could have carried out this terrible murder or that Rosemary should have picked her clients better."

Among the crowd at the vigil was the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith, spokesman for the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition, and republican Mr Colin Duffy, whom Ms Nelson had represented.

Mr Adams said the size of the crowd at the vigil, despite the bad weather, was an indication of the strength of feeling in the nationalist community about Ms Nelson's death.

"I want to reiterate that a fully independent and international investigation into the killing must take place and that the RUC should have no art or part in that investigation," he said.

Mr Mac Cionnaith told The Irish Times that the event was held to highlight the importance of getting to the truth. The Primate of All Ireland, Dr Sean Brady, yesterday called for a "totally independent" investigation into the murder of Ms Nelson. It would be better for the credibility of the force if RUC officers were not involved, he said.

"I think I would like to see a satisfactory investigation of this matter, and for that to happen it must be totally independent."

In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster he suggested that the United Nations special rapporteur should be involved in the investigation. "I think it is important that it inspires confidence and I think it may be better if the RUC were out of the investigation altogether," he added.

Responding to Dr Brady, Sir Ronnie said he would be happy to give the archbishop "a full and detailed briefing" on the progress of the investigation.