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Fullerton family still seek
answers
06.05.11
by Eamonn Mac Dermott, Inishowen Independent
TWENTY years after the death of Buncrana Sinn Fein
councillor Eddie Fullerton, his family have said
they are still waiting for the official report on
the re-investigation into his death.
Councillor Eddie Fullerton was shot dead at his home
in Cockhill on 25 May 2001 and no one has ever been
made answerable for the crime.
Speaking this week, Eddie’s daughter Amanda
Fullerton said: “Twenty years after Daddy’s death we
are still waiting for the official report on the
re-investigation.
“I intend to accompany Pádraig MacLochlainn to the
Dáil shortly after the anniversary to meet with TDs
to put pressure on for the final report to be
released.
“We need the report to be made public so that we can
develop a strategy to move forward.
“With the re-investigation new information has come
to light but without the report there is not a lot
we can do.”
She added: “After a meeting in 2003 with the then
Minister for Justice, a new investigation was
launched under Chief Superintendent Noel White and
Assistant Commissioner Donovan. |
“We met with the then
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2006 and were then given a
preliminary report, but we were far from happy as
there were too many inadequacies and unanswered
questions.
“For example the gun used to shoot daddy was also
used in 13 other atrocities and in some of them
there have been convictions, yet no one in the Garda
thought it necessary to interview any of those
involved in these atrocities.” |
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Eddie Fullerton. |
Amanda Fullerton
continued: “There have always been serious
allegations that the murder was a result of
collusion between British authorities and loyalist
paramilitaries.
“These have been compounded by several media reports
produced by respected investigative journalists,
writers and documentary producers who have
consistently alleged that British security forces
and their informants were pivotal in targeting and
facilitating the assassination of my father within
the jurisdiction of the Republic of Ireland.
“Critically, serious questions have also arisen
about the role played by An Garda Síochána prior to
the murder and the subsequent flawed investigation
that followed.
“Remarkably, those responsible for policing on both
sides of the border have, over the years, shown
little or no interest in pursuing a proper murder
investigation.”
Amanda Fullerton said that thanks to the efforts of
the Justice for Eddie Fullerton Campaign led by her
late brother Albert, new evidence had been
uncovered.
She said: “Albert's efforts paid off when he
unveiled a key witness to the investigation whose
statement provided damning evidence of collusion.
“Most alarmingly, this information was made known to
the RUC and An Garda Síochána on the day of the
murder, but was never acted upon, nor were we, the
family, ever informed.
“Basically the family want to know why over the
years, have An Garda Síochána and the RUC/PSNI never
conducted a proper and thorough cross-jurisdictional
investigation into the murder of our father.”
Ms Fullerton also revealed that she was planning to
make a major statement on the family’s position on
the occasion of Eddie Fullerton’s anniversary. |
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