Ex-RIRA man reveals plot to kill victims’ chief
A REAL IRA member has left the terror group and alerted victims’ campaigner Willie Frazer about a plot to kill him.
The man, who is now in hiding, claims to have left the dissident republican group in recent weeks and has passed information to Britain’s foreign intelligence service MI6, including on an alleged attempt to murder Ian Paisley Jnr.
If his story is confirmed, he would be the first Real IRA member to leave and speak out — as IRA informants such as Sean O’Callaghan and Martin McGartland did.
The republican, from the border counties, says he was one of the Real IRA’s intelligence officers, but grew disillusioned with the organisation over what he claimed were its deepening links with Islamic terrorists.
He said that he wanted to absolve himself of his past involvement with the group by warning those it was targeting.
Reliable sources say that the security services have verified that the man was a member of the Real IRA but that the relationship between British intelligence and the man, whose name cannot be published for his own safety, has now broken down.
On the run, he has been moving around various safe locations and is now living in fear of his life.
Mr Frazer, director of Families Acting For Innocent Relatives (FAIR), said that he was astonished by what had happened and had been “very cautious” when first contacted by the man.
“We did a lot of checking to verify that he was who he said he was,” he said.
The middle-aged dissident says that he turned down offers of money from his MI6 handler and asked that instead they give him a new identity, something he claims they reneged on.
Other sources say that MI6 parted company with the man because they claimed that the level of information he was providing was not from a sufficiently high level within the Real IRA.
Asked why he had come to Mr Frazer, who is widely disliked within republicanism because of his work for victims of IRA terrorism, he said: “I did my own checks and knew I could trust him.”
He claims that the Real IRA wanted to murder Mr Frazer and had asked him to do research on him.
“Last year there was a conversation in a pub where someone said about him ‘That ****’s going round stitching people up and he hates Catholics’,” he said.
“There are people in South Armagh – including Provos – who don’t care what happens, they just want to take him down.”
He also says that he told his handler of an attempt to kill Ian Paisley Jnr: “Mr Paisley’s son (Ian Jnr) was the main one.
There was also a recruitment officer for the PSNI.”
Mr Paisley told the News Letter that he was “aware of the allegation” but declined to comment further.
Declan Ganley, the prominent Irish businessman and Libertas founder, was also on the target list, the dissident republican claims.
“I called him and he thanked me for it because I thought they (MI6) were taking too long to contact him,” he said.
Mr Frazer said that his group was “demanding that the information provided be acted upon”.
He said: “He has seen the error of his ways and the information which he has brought forward has the potential to do a lot of damage to the dissident republican cause.”
And Mr Frazer last night paid tribute to the former Real IRA man he said that he has now come to trust.
The FAIR director said that it was a vindication of the South Armagh-based group’s “principled stand” that a dissident republican fearing for his life felt secure coming there for help.
“This shows how far victims have been able to go in persuading senior republicans to renounce violence,” he said.
“People have often criticised FAIR on cross-community issues but this shows that victims stating their case can have a profound effect.
“It speaks volumes that a man such as this would identify FAIR as an organisation he could feel safe with.
“Our principled stand and integrity gave him the confidence to make this step.”
Mr Frazer said that it had taken “immense personal courage” for the man to turn his back on violence and seek to prevent further attacks.
“This is at considerable risk and we feel all must be done to protect and assist him,” he said.
“We would also say that anyone from a similar background if they are willing to put their words into action.
“Victims have shown that it is justice and truth they seek and an end to violence.
“The information this individual has passed over is invaluable and we trust the security services will appreciate and utilise it. Despite attempts to discredit ourselves with him we will continue to monitor how he is treated and how his information is utilised.”
Mr Frazer said that the information which the man had told him had been passed to the security services had the potential to save lives and put senior Real IRA members in prison.
Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who has been aware of the circumstances surrounding the case, said that he hoped the man’s information would be used to prevent terrorist atrocities and catch those responsible for past attacks.
The DUP MP said he welcomed a dissident republican leaving behind terrorism and supplying the security services with information on former colleagues.
“I am aware of this case and the security forces have been involved,” he said.
“Of course it is a welcome development when any individual comes forward to bring information which could prevent further terrorist attacks and apprehend those responsible for past terrorism.
“It is important that the security forces continue to have the resources to continue to gather intelligence on and infiltrate these organisations and hopefully these developments will lead to further disrupting and undermining their activities.”
