ICRIR has the necessary teeth to probe Sean Brown murder – Benn

A new body set up to probe Troubles crime has the necessary “teeth” to probe the murder of GAA official Sean Brown, the Northern Ireland Secretary has insisted.

There was disappointment last week when it emerged the Government will not order a public inquiry into the abduction and killing of the 61-year-old as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Londonderry in May 1997.

No-one has ever been convicted of his murder.

Earlier this year, a coroner said his ability to examine the death of Mr Brown had been “compromised” by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

Preliminary inquest proceedings had already heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.

Coroner Mr Justice Kinney said he would write to the Northern Ireland Secretary to call on the Government to establish a public inquiry into the loyalist murder.

On Monday afternoon, Mr Benn told the PA news agency that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), set up as part of the previous government’s controversial Legacy Act, could examine the case.

“There is an alternative route available, which is the independent commission,” he said.

“The thing about the independent commission is it’s up and running, it’s available to carry out investigations and the recovery of information, it has the power to get all the information it needs to look at a particular case, it has the power to summon witnesses, they must turn up and answer questions, and it is also developing a proposal to hold hearings in public.

“That is pretty much like a public inquiry.”

He went on to say: “It does have the teeth, because it can look at all of the information, and that’s crucial.”

Last week, Mr Benn announced that a public inquiry would be established into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, who was shot dead in front of his family at their Belfast home in 1989.

The attack, carried out by the Ulster Defence Association, was found by a series of investigations to have involved collusion with the state.

On Monday, Mr Benn said the circumstances in that case are different because in 2001 the British and Irish governments agreed to hold a public inquiry into a number of deaths, including that of Mr Finucane.

“That was offered to the Finucane family in 2004 by the previous Labour government. For reasons, it wasn’t possible to reach agreement with them on the form of that inquiry,” he said.

“This is exceptional because of a previous commitment that was given, and it was right that we should honour an agreement we reached with the Irish government and finally fulfil the offer the Labour Government made in 2004 to the Finucane family.”