'I was target of RUC witch-hunt'
FORMER RUC drugs squad chief Kevin Sheehy has published a book claiming he was persecuted and ultimately driven out of the force for revealing alleged Government collusion with paramilitaries.
Mr Sheehy was the first Catholic graduate to join the RUC and served for more than 30 years during the height of the Troubles, rising to the rank of detective superintendent with a high public profile.
He claims that while in pursuit of some of Northern Ireland’s most notorious paramilitaries and criminals, investigation by his own colleagues after his revelations made his life a living hell and he was basically cold-shouldered, leading him to quit.
His book claims to lift the lid on the workings of the RUC during the turbulent years of the Troubles, detailing the pressures which officers worked under. He speaks of the ‘machinations’ of Special Branch and alleged political interference in policing from both local and national Government.
The former top officer claims it was his exposure of alleged collusion between political bodies and paramilitaries over the expropriation of state funds for local authority house building schemes that led to a witch-hunt within the force to make him resign.
Mr Sheehy explained: “All the paramilitaries – loyalist and republican – were colluding with each other to appropriate this money using extortion, intimidation and fraudulent documents.”
He said there was an agreement that loyalists could run so-called ‘security firms’ in Catholic areas and Catholics could work safely in loyalist areas.
“So they were all putting profit and money before ideology.
“This arrangement ended when another loyalist tried to muscle in on the rackets and had a Catholic worker shot dead on the Shankill on the 12th of July.
“The fact that Catholics were working on the Shankill on the 12th of July illustrates what was going on.”
The former detective superintendent said the Government was aware of what was going on, but turned a blind eye in order to get the much-needed housing built.
Mr Sheehy said he was no whistleblower, and was a loyal officer who became caught up in politics.
“I was in court and the judge compelled me to answer questions about what was going on.
“I wasn’t prepared to commit perjury, so I answered his questions – it was no choice of my own and the judge made that clear.
“I was thoroughly delighted – didn’t do it reluctantly. I felt the public needed to know there were people in Government allowing this to happen. This was money from taxpayers.”
Mr Sheehy said following the exchange in court, a vendetta was carried out against him, with senior officers plotting to have him removed.
He also says his comments on the ‘drugs war’ prompted a clash with the Ministry of Defence, all of which combined to make his position untenable and he eventually realised his career had stalled and resigned.
The PSNI issued a statement in response to Mr Sheehy’s allegations yesterday, saying: “We have not received a formal complaint on this matter at this time.
“If we do, the matter will be dealt with appropriately.”
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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