Ex-PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde: The Historical Enquiries Team was closed down to protect terrorists-turned-politicians

Sir Hugh, PSNI Chief constable from 2002 to 2009, was speaking on the BBC documentary released this week, PSNI – 20 Years On The Frontline. He set up a special PSNI division, the Historical Enquiries Unit (HET) in 2005 to investigate over 3000 troubles deaths.

In 2010 the PSNI revealed, under Freedom of Information, that the HET had carried out 71 arrests - all but one of them having been loyalists; This was despite the fact that the republicans killed a much larger number of people. In 2014 the PSNI refused to update the figures saying it no longer collated them. The PUP held public protests and asked why no republicans were being arrested.

In 2013 a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary said HET investigated cases involving the state with “less rigour” than others. The next year the PSNI said that budget cuts meant it had to close.

In this week’s documentary Mr Orde said he would have binned the HMIC report.

“Had I been the chief when that [HMIC] report was received I’d have called a press conference... and I’d have thrown the report in the bin on public television and said, ‘That’s all very interesting but I’m going to keep going because I think the families of victims are far more important’.

“It was the only original idea I had in policing. I was hugely disappointed and angry when it was closed down for the reasons it was closed down.”

Asked why it was closed down, he replied: “It was never going to be perfect, in fact a politician who shall remain nameless, when I set it up, said, ‘You know, this will run as long as it suits the politicians and when it doesn’t they will close you down’.”

Stephen Nolan put it to him that he meant that “one of the reasons it was closed down was to protect people in senior positions of power”.

Mr Orde replied: “It is very hard to know and this is speculation on my part... we were getting to more recent cases and therefore awkward questions might come in the direction of people on both sides - this was not one side or the other - that might cause embarrassment.”

He said serving politicians would have come under scrutiny.

“It is a fairly obvious notion that the more recent cases would have been committed or the murderers or those involved in these crimes would have been younger people from both sides who would have made the transition for all the right reasons from one side - from the freedom fighter role - to the roles of democratically elected individuals for example.” 

Kenny Donaldson, Spokesman for Innocent Victims United said Sir Hugh Orde’s comments chime with previous information he obtained from a former senior HET investigator.

“We were advised that the senior HET Investigator had sought to interview Martin McGuinness over the Enniskillen Poppy Day Bomb massacre but that he was told that this couldn’t happen, that the NIO said ‘this would not be a good idea’,” he said.

“Previously we provided this information through spoken evidence given to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select committee. It is a statement of fact that many current and former elected representatives were engaged in terrorism and were involved in a wide range of crimes including murder. Sir High Orde has essentially confirmed that political considerations and the appeasement of certain individuals happened, that they were afforded protection.

“There is a need for accountability of all of these issues. ictims and survivors must cease to be the collateral damage of squalid and covert political deals which have usurped the criminal justice system”.

MORE NEWS:

Russian naval exercises off Irish coast: Republic is depending on Royal Navy and RAF for defence against Russia, say experts

PSNI reveals why Paramilitary Crime Task Force investigates UVF, UDA and INLA - but not the IRA

Policing Board ‘not aware’ of existence of PSNI unit monitoring IRA activity

Ex PSNI Chief Constable Sir George Hamilton: IRA Army Council directed Sinn Fein during Kevin McGuigan murder

Ex-PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde: The Historical Enquiries Team was closed down to protect terrorists-turned-politicians

Russian spies are very active in NI says ex-Nato officer, after Russia reveals plans for naval excercise off Irish coast

PSNI dodges ex-chief constable George Hamilton’s claim about murder of ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan

PSNI assessment of IRA Army Council relationship with Sinn Fein remains unchanged says Chief Constable Simon Byrne

Young unionists react to BBC’s Stephen Nolan: Why our peers don’t want to speak out in the media

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Editor