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Date Posted: 23:24:28 06/25/02 Tue
Author: Lynn Msc
Subject: Loyalists blast TV collusion claims over murder

belfastnewsletter

Loyalist blasts TV collusion claims over murder
Stephen Dempster

FRESH allegations surrounding the murder of Pat Finucane on Panorama were last night branded lies, by the man accused of organising the killing.
In an exclusive interview with the News Letter, loyalist Jim Spence strongly denied accusations made in the BBC programme by supergrass Ken Barrett that he colluded with a rogue Special Branch officer to arrange the shooting of the solicitor.
He said his life had been put at risk by ‘‘a catalogue of lies’’ in the documentary, as potential motives for Barrett’s allegations began to emerge.
Spence’s rebuttal also came as other reliable loyalist sources rubbished Barrett’s claim that he shot Mr Finucane dead.
They suggested Panorama had got it wrong.
A senior loyalist said: ‘‘Barrett did not kill Finucane. That’s total fact – he was not the gunman. It’s up to others to figure out why he said he was. Panorama should check their facts.’’
The News Letter now believes Barrett was, in fact, the driver.
Panorama journalist John Ware said he accepted Barrett’s version of events because he knew so much detail.
But the source said: ‘‘Barrett was there at the scene, of course he knew facts.
‘‘He also moved in loyalist circles and knew things and knew certain personalities but ask anyone and they’ll tell you he was a Walter Mitty character and he has led Panorama a merry dance.
‘‘Barrett said he ‘whacked’ Finucane and ‘whacked’ 10 people in all. Who were these 10 people? Did the BBC ask that? He’s a liar.’’
This claim, and the fact Barrett had said he fired the fatal shots were the focal points of the programme which has caused an outcry.
Yesterday, more than 100 relatives of people killed by loyalist paramilitaries called for a public inquiry into collusion.
But refuting the accusation he was the brains behind the murder, Spence said he had reluctantly decided to go public because he was ‘‘angered that Panorama could get away with total rubbish about me’’.
Barrett said that he and Spence had sat in a car with a police officer to plan the hit on Finucane.
Spence said: ‘‘That’s not true. I was never in any car with Ken Barrett and a policeman.
‘‘That’s pure fantasy and I challenge John Ware to name this invisible officer – which should be interesting because there was no officer and no meeting.
‘‘On the other hand, Barrett seems to be in and out of cars more than Michael Schumacher but conveniently appears to have forgotten the name of this invisible officer.’’
Spence said he was talking to a solicitor about the programme.
Panorama said it had taken legal advice before naming Spence.
But 41-year-old Spence noted that he had previously won damages for unlawful arrest by the Stevens Inquiry team.
‘‘That says a lot about how strongly I deny these allegations against me, that I was prepared to take that arrest to court,’’ said Spence.
He said he fully admitted his loyalist paramilitary associations but would not accept false claims against him.
He also revealed he and Barrett had a history and did not like each other – suggesting a motive for pointing the finger at him.
Spence was involved in having Barrett removed from the UDA wing in the Maze in the early 90s ‘‘for being a disruptive influence; he was a mixer and had a big mouth and plenty of people will tell you that’’.
Other senior loyalist sources confirmed Spence’s claim.
One also said that Spence had removed Barrett from a position in charge of funds in a loyalist prisoners’ scheme, when money went missing.
Spence said: ‘‘Panorama paid half-a-million or something for this programme and without Ken Barrett it seems they had nothing.
‘‘I am confident Barrett will be exposed as a liar and Panorama will discover they got their facts wrong.
‘‘All I will add is that in 1992 the same programme named another man in connection with Finucane – now they have not even mentioned him. What does that tell you?
‘‘They said Barrett received certain guns from me but Stobie (the other UDA informer, now dead) said he gave me guns and named other makes. Nothing much adds up but it does not seem to have bothered Panorama.
‘‘All I can say for definite is that I did not collude with the police to kill Finucane.’’

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