Dallat claims ‘rubbish’ – UDA
The political wing of the UDA has hit out at an East Londonderry MLA, who says the organisation is recruiting young people into its youth wing, describing the claim as “rubbish”.
SDLP MLA John Dallat says the group is involved in a systematic campaign to bring people into the Ulster Young Militants (UYM) in the Coleraine area.
He has called on the Independent Monitoring Commission to investigate.
“These young impressionable people are being paid by the godfathers to go out and paint the town with sectarian messages of hate often directed against individual Catholics who have got in their way”, Mr Dallat said.
“The focus of the UDA is very clear – step up intimidation, increase sectarianism and make life a living hell for Catholics”, he added.
In a statement the UPRG hit back at the accusations describing Mr Dallat’s comments as “nothing more than the ramblings of a worried man who has an election to fight next year”.
UPRG Regional Secretary David Malcolm says the organisation has worked “tirelessly to calm tensions in Coleraine” since the murder of Kevin McDaid.
The Catholic community worker was beaten to death by a gang of men in May 2009.
“John Dallat’s claim of recruitment by the UDA of children would be laughable if it wasn’t such a serious allegation. I have been assured that there is not – and has not been any recruitment by the UDA in any area of Coleraine”, Mr Malcolm added.
Mr Dallat has urged the IMC to focus their attention on what he describes as the “silent festering cancer which is destroying the fabric of society in Coleraine”.
“In their last report the IMC accepted that the UDA are still involved in assaults, attacks on individuals alleged to be drug-dealing or involved in anti-social activity”, he said.
“A new report is due out next month and I sincerely hope that it will focus on Coleraine and the totally unacceptable level of criminality taking place much of it attributable to the UDA with long-term consequences for peace and reconciliation”, he continued.
