'My brother-in-law was murdered' - An emotional and angry Trevor Clarke rips into Sinn Fein over 'Troubles Amnesty'

A DUP MLA has accused both deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Sinn Fein of "hypocrisy' over comments made about the UK government's proposed 'Troubles Amnesty'.
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MLAs took their seats inside the Assembly at 12.00pm after it was recalled from summer recess to debate a motion concerning the 'Troubles Amnesty'.

Deputy First Minister and Sinn Fein MLA for Mid-Ulster, Michelle O'Neill, described the UK government as "morally corrupt" for attempting to "clean-up its dirty war in Ireland" and more right wing General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship of Chile between 1973 to 1990.

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DUP MLA for South Antrim, Trevor Clarke, took to his feet a while later during which he fired Michelle O'Neill's words back at her labelling her "morally corrupt".

Trevor Clarke, DUP MLA for South Antrim.Trevor Clarke, DUP MLA for South Antrim.
Trevor Clarke, DUP MLA for South Antrim.

"My brother-in-law was murdered with seven of his colleagues," said Mr. Clarke, whose 22 year-old brother-in-law Nigel McKee was one of eight people murdered when an IRA bomb exploded at the Teebane crossroads on January 17, 1992. Mr. McKee and his colleagues were being transported in a van to carry out repairs at an army barracks in Omagh.

"An innocent member of the public, not part of an armed gang, not part of a militia or whatever the Provos wanted to call themselves - he was just an innocent man carrying out a day's work.

"To come here today to listen to the hypocrisy coming from Sinn Fein is nothing short of a disgrace."

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Mr. Clarke added: "The security forces are the target of the contribution from Sinn Fein today

"They targeted them before today - they targeted them with the bullet and the bomb and now they are targeting them today

"I can say I am proud of the work the security forces done for the protection of everyone in this country - I wish others could do the same.

The proposal made by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, is essentially an amnesty for all Troubles related crimes to have occurred before the Belfast Agreement was signed in 1998. The amnesty would apply to the military, the police and republican and loyalist paramilitaries,

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