Sinn Fein big praises ‘advances’ in policing

Speaking at the party’s ard fheis in Dublin, he said: “Critical is the issue of transfer of powers to Ireland through the local assembly, executive and hence into an all-Ireland context through the all-Ireland institutions.
“But transfer of powers is also crucial because it is the only way that control of policing and justice can ultimately be wrested out of the hands of British securocrats in London and the NIO who have run policing as a paramilitary force.
“For the first time in the history of the six-county state, the potential to utterly change the unionist, paramilitary and sectarian character of policing in the North is substantially in our hands.
“We have not yet reached the point of fully achieving our objectives in this area but huge advances have been made since the negotiations of 1998.”
Sinn Fein is pledged to hold a special party conference in the event of its leadership deciding to endorse policing.
Kelly also said that a local television investigation into the work of the forensic science agency had raised “extremely serious questions which require immediate answers from the British government.”
The program had revealed details of the collapse of criminal cases against South Down men Martin Brogan and Mark Carroll and Tyrone man Noel Abernethy. The cases showed the police Special Branch and British army fabricated evidence and the DPP acted to conceal crucial evidence from defense teams.
“It was very clear from the program and from statements made in court under oath that the police and DPP have been interfering in the work of the Forensic Science Agency, which is supposed to be independent,” he said.
“Last week I met with Lord Filken, the British minister with responsibility for the criminal justice and court systems in the North and I raised with him the scandal of the Brogan/Carroll case.” Kelly said.
“These cases cannot be taken in isolation and it is my belief that there are other cases where the independence of the forensic evidence presented in court is now under suspicion,” he added.