Police 'warned' of Wright murder

[Hildy]

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s6/hildydonovan/_38924913_billywright_203.jpg
LVF leader Billy Wright was shot dead in the Maze Prison in 1997



BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7274923.stm)
Monday, 3 March 2008

An MI5 agent handler has said he warned police the INLA were planning to kill loyalist leader Billy Wright inside the Maze Prison.


LVF leader Billy Wright was shot dead in the Maze Prison in 1997

The handler said he told police of the move in April 1997, eight months before Wright, 37, was murdered.

He made the comments during an inquiry into the death of the loyalist Volunteer Force leader.

The INLA were "deeply unhappy" about Wright's proposed move to H-Block Six, occupied by them, the inquiry heard.

The agent told his handler said that if it happened, the INLA would try to kill Wright at the earliest opportunity.

The agent thought the most likely method would have been to use a hypodermic syringe filled with poison.

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy announced the public inquiry into Wright's killing in November 2004 following allegations of security force collusion in his murder.

The inquiry is expected to last for some time.

Since the father of Billy Wright "won a ruling over how the inquiry into his son's murder is conducted. (Initially the inquiry was to be carried out under the Prisons Act, but it was changed to the 2005 Inquiries Act by tribunal chairman Lord McLean.) which would have "effectively given a minister the right to terminate an inquiry at any time and so allow for evidence to be kept secret."

"Mr Justice Deeny ruled on Thursday that this was unlawful."

"The judge said Secretary of State Peter Hain had failed to take into account the importance of the inquiry's independence."

"He said he did not suspect bad faith on the part of Mr Hain but that he had been ill-advised."

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy announced the public inquiry into Wright's killing in November 2004 following allegations of security force collusion in his murder. "

[Takeshi]

It's hardly a newsflash that the INLA wanted him dead and would kill him if they got the chance. The LVF wanted to kill members of the INLA and would have done so if they had been able.

[Hildy]

Yes I agree, Takeshi, but the contention here is if the prison and government officials new 5 months before of the threats, why was there security deficiencies? It indicates government complicity and collusion, and if that happened in this case, how many other cases did it happen in. Not that I care that this jerk was killed! But all the other cases of collusion should be revealed as well! Look at Raymond McCord who is under a death threat for for helping to expose the collusion of the RUC and loyalists in the murder of his son and to expose Mark Haddock! "The Special Branch officers destroyed evidence, thwarted inquiries in up to 15 murders committed by Loyalist informers, no prosecutions likely, I mean this is outright collusion and cover-up."


20 July 2003
NIO told Wright 'to be taken out'

By Sunday Life reporter

A STORMONT minister was warned that INLA prisoners were threatening to murder LVF inmates at the Maze - five months before top loyalist, Billy Wright, was shot inside the jail. Sunday Life can reveal that representatives of the Prison Officers Association gave the warning, during a meeting with Northern Ireland Office Minister, Adam Ingram, on July 7, 1997. An agenda of the meeting reveals that the POA said INLA inmates had told staff "they intend, given a chance, to take out the LVF". The POA said precautions had been put in place to ensure inmates from the two terror groups did not come into contact with each other. But POA sources said Mr Ingram was also told prison officers had grave concerns over security measures in H Block 6, where Wright and the LVF were housed. Five months later, LVF leader Wright was ambushed by an INLA team, led by Christopher 'Crip' McWilliams, inside the top security jail.

But it has now emerged that the prison authorities were also aware of warders' concerns that McWilliams - who was behind bars for killing a Catholic bar manager - was plotting an attack. We have information the prison authorities had possession of written reports, known as 'half-sheets', from experienced prison officers, which stated that INLA prisoners, including McWilliams, were making preparations for an attack within the Maze, in the summer of 1997. It is understood governors were first warned about concerns that McWilliams was planning an operation, in May 1997. McWilliams and another high profile INLA prisoner were spotted examining the security fence, in the exercise yard at H Block 6. Prison sources also revealed that, on one occasion, prisoners had managed to break the lock on a metal grille in H Block 6, and were openly walking about the exercise yard unsupervised, during the night.

DUP deputy leader, Peter Robinson, recently accused the Government of covering up the murder of Wright. The East Belfast MP told the House of Commons he had been sent a copy of the police file into Wright's death. He said the contents of the file strengthened the call for a full public inquiry into the murder. Mr Robinson said the file gave rise to a number of very serious questions about the failure of the authorities to heed any of a number of warnings, from prison staff, before the murder of Billy Wright.

http://www.murderinthemaze.fsnet.co.uk/complicity.htm

[Vox Populi]

Justice for Billy Wright, I'm sure that'll go down well.