A veteran rights campaigner in the
city last night challenged those who made "unsubstantiated
allegations" against the late Captain Kelly to
come before a tribunal.
Fionnbarra
Ó Dochartaigh was responding to the shock allegations
made against the late captain by IRA veteran Johnny
White at a press conference in the city last weekend.
"If
the Capt. Kelly case goes to tribunal, let those behind
the claims made against him stand by their words in
court," Mr Ó Dochartaigh declared.
"The
Kelly family have nothing to fear by a full inquiry",
the campaign manager added.
"Anyone
who has a disclosure to make - let them come out of
the woodwork. If this does go to a tribunal they will
be obliged to stand over their claims or retract them.
"With
words there are consequences and people can't simply
walk away from these allegations."
Mr
Ó Dochartaigh said he wasn't "fully convinced"
the State would agree to a tribunal of inquiry. But
he added that a recent ruling limiting barristers'
fees and the timetable for tribunals in the Republic
of Ireland made it more likely that the southern Government
will call an official inquiry into the events around
the 1970 arms trial.
"The
Kelly family has simply sought an apology from the
Irish Government. But when the full weight of the
petition is publicised and letters sent to every TD
in the Dáil - I believe there will be a public
outcry for a tribunal.
"I
support the view of the Derry News' veteran journalist
Frank Curran who some weeks back called for a tribunal
to get to the truth and set the record straight."
The
Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern is duty bound, Mr Ó
Dochartaigh claimed, to stand by the statement he
made hours after Captain Kelly's death in which he
endorsed the army man's "integrity".
"When
the letter and the petition goes to every TD I believe
there will be an outcry for a tribunal. I don't think
the simple apology called for by the Kelly family
will satisfy the public.
"There
can be no true justice without the full truth."
Submitted by Fionnbarra Ó Dochartaigh.
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