Inchiesta su Pat Finucane sarà “uno spreco da un milione e mezzo di sterline”
Pat Finucane probe will be a waste of £1.5m, MPs told
The Government has been told its review into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane could be a waste of £1.5m.
Former Labour Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy (Torfaen) told MPs there was now “widespread opposition” to the proposal for “a semi-inquiry”.
Addressing Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Paterson during Commons questions, he said: “I wonder if the Secretary of State understands that by going ahead with his proposal, £1.5m is likely to be wasted and will he now rethink?”
Mr Finucane’s widow last week said she felt “angry” and “insulted” after David Cameron told her he was proposing a QC-led review of her husband’s case.
After meeting the Prime Minister, Geraldine Finucane told reporters that the whole family was “very disappointed” and would not support the initiative.
The Finucane family want a full independent inquiry into the loyalist shooting in 1989.
Mr Paterson said: “I’m sorry that we disagree on this. He committed to a public inquiry, but he then passed the Inquiries Act and we know that was the stumbling block and we inherited a complete impasse.
“This was going nowhere and we think by accepting the conclusion of the Stevens Inquiry, possibly the largest police inquiry in British history, by having the family to Downing Street for a very fulsome apology, we can then concentrate on what’s really important, which I raised with the family when I first met them, which is to get to the truth as fast as possible.”