     IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
     Tuesday, 27 January, 1998


1.   Loyalist party expelled from talks

3.   Garda harassment challenged

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>>>> Loyalist party expelled from talks
     
     
     The Irish and British governments yesterday expelled
     the small loyalist Ulster Democratic Party from peace
     talks after outrage over a sectarian murder onslaught
     against Catholics became impossible to ignore.
     
     In one week, the murder gangs of the UDA ("Ulster
     Defence Association") under the name of the UFF
     ("Ulster Freedom Fighters")  murdered four Catholics in
     Belfast and seriously injured another five. The
     organisation openly abandoned the pretense of a
     ceasefire after RUC police was forced to confirm that
     it was involved in serial killings which have
     dramatically escalated in recent weeks.
     
     A rising tide of protest by nationalists yesterday
     obliged the two governments to restore credibilty to
     the talks and belatedly end a fudge over the Mitchell
     principles of non-violence which underpin the talks.
     
     It marked a stunning reverse of policy by Britain's
     governor in Ireland Mo Mowlam, who just weeks ago
     visited a panel of infamous UDA serial killers at Long
     Kesh prison to cajole them into supporting the peace
     process.  The murder attacks on Catholics continued
     last night, still the only constant factor in an
     increasingly grave political climate.
     
     In their stated effort to avoid being "humiliated", the
     UDP led by Gary McMichael representing the UDA/UFF at
     the talks, walked out of Lancaster House in London
     before the governments read the verdict on their
     expulsion.
     
     Speaking at press conference yesterday afternoon,
     McMichael said his party was not "walking away from
     this process". His party endorsed the Mitchell
     principles and was "appalled" by recent violence, he
     claimed. But in the morning session of the talks, the
     UDP had repeatedly refused to disavow the UFF killers.
     
     Ominously, the UDP said in a statement later that the
     peace process would be hampered by their absence and
     that this would "fuel instability".
     
     The Sinn Fein President, Mr Gerry Adams, said the UDP
     removal would do nothing to lift the fears among
     nationalists in the north of Ireland. "The crisis has
     not been defused," he said.
     
     He also attacked the Ulster Unionist Party over its
     refusal to engage with republicans in the peace
     process. "The UUP cannot wash their hands of what is
     happening on the ground. It is they who have created
     the vacuum" in which the violence had intensified, he
     said.
     
     "Mr Trimble's refusal to talk sends a potent signal
     which at its most extreme end leads to the killing of
     Catholics."
     
     SInn Fein had called for the British government to
     discharge its responsibilities in a forthright way in
     regard to loyalist violence.  It had been sending the
     message that the killing of Catholics did not matter,
     Mr Adams said.
     
     "Does that not collapse the process much more quickly
     than any other decision of the government?" he asked.
     "Our position becomes untenable unless the governments
     face up to their responsibilities."
     
     Mr Adams said his party had told the British government
     it must make a decision and that there could be no
     double standards. "If the IRA had conducted these
     killings, do you think the government would be in a
     dilemma over Sinn Fein's involvement in these talks?"
     
     He added: "The dilemma is that those people who have
     been killed in the recent weeks, and their families and
     the communities from which they come and those whom we
     represent and other parties represent, will be sent a
     very clear message - it doesn't matter if you're a
     Catholic."
     
     * Peace talks are today focussing on crucial
     North-South issues, with a document under discussion
     which will outline the nature, form and extent of new
     arrangements.
     

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>>>> Garda harassment challenged
     
     
     
     A Kerry man who has been subject to an alleged campaign
     of harassment by the 26 County Garda police has been
     given leave to seek a judicial review to prevent State
     prosecutors proceeding with a number of summonses
     against him.
     
     The case has arisen after Denis Kelly from Ardfert, a
     former member of the Garda Siochana himself, was served
     with three summonses alleging that he broke road
     traffic laws.
     
     Kelly told a High Court hearing on Monday, that the
     Gardai have subjected him to a concerted campaign of
     harassment since he was released from Port Laoise
     prison.
     
     Kelly had been a member of the Gardai for nine years
     until 1991, wen he was arrested and charged with having
     possession of a document contrary to Section 9 of the
     Official Secrets Act and with passing on information to
     the IRA.
     
     Though the latter charge was withdrawn, Kelly was held
     in Portlaoise prison for four years.
     
     On his release, he successfuly applied for a position
     as a gym instructor at a local hotel. However, after an
     approach was made to the hotel owner by Gardai, the
     post was no longer open to him.
     
     When he got a part-time job in another hotel, the
     Gardai again approached the general manager with a view
     to having him dismissed. However, in this instance the
     manager monitored his work for a fortnight after which
     he was deemed a satisfactory employee and allowed to
     continue in the position.
     
     Kelly told the court that he is aware that the Special
     Branch intelligence police encourage uniformed Gardai
     to keep under surveillance and report on the movements
     of those who they consider to be republican
     sympathisers and activists.
     
     Now employed as an insurance agent, he claimed that he
     had been followed and put under surveillance while he
     was going about his business, which involved a lot
     travelling.
     
     He said that his elderly parents were also harassed,
     that he has been stopped and searched in his car on
     numerous occasions and that his property has been
     unlawfully seized.
     
     He further alleged that he had been verbally abused and
     accused of being involved in the killing of Garda Jerry
     McCabe, which he emphatically denied.
     
     Kelly said that road summonses wrongly accused him of
     violating Road Traffic laws and that he can prove they
     are indeed illegal. He accused the Gardai, having
     failed to have him sacked, of using the Road Traffic
     Acts to have him disqualified from driving.
     
     Judge Catherine McGuinness granted Mr Kelly a judicial
     review, preventing State prosecutors proceeding with
     the traffic offence summonses.
