The following platform piece from Jim Allister appeared in today’s News Letter:
The OTR scandal provides a glimpse into the political corruption and skulduggery that spawned and drove the ‘peace process’. When government, which above all ought to protect innocent victims, colludes with the victim-makers to assure them sanctuary, then, it not only betrays their victims but has plumbed the depths of moral corruption.
The public outrage which greeted the OTR revelations was wholly justified, as was the First Minister’s initial response. But his ignominious climb-down, having got nothing like what he demanded, only added to the isolation and hurt of innocent victims. Hoodwinked into government he was right to threaten to resign; but, then, to himself try and hoodwink the public by pretending he’d extracted a worthwhile inquiry, was a pitiful figleaf as he scrambled to hang onto his job.
As the Chairman of the NI Committee has confirmed, the Robinson inquiry is wholly inadequate. It is but a paper checking exercise, performed behind closed doors, with no ability to compel witnesses, take evidenc e on oath or get to the bottom of the political machinations at work. A proper public inquiry can not just compel witnesses, but it would permit representation by victims, with cross-examination rights for them.
The ramifications of the special protection for OTRs on the HET process is as yet not fully exposed, but from the few relevant cases which have come to light, like that relating to the murder of Lexie Cummings, it is clearly devastating. A powerful forensic case caused McMonigle, now a Sinn Fein councillor, to be charged with this murder. He went on the run, only later to be gifted an OTR letter, despite him never having faced trial on the murder charge. That, I suspect, typifies how the HET process has been corrupted by the OTR scandal.
The glimpse we have had into the Provo-placating corruption of the political and judicial process points to the entirely rotten foundation of ‘The Peace Process’. Decommissioning, too, I suspect was spun and packaged to con the gullible, some of whom, including the then DUP leader, were satisfied by the untested affirmations of Gerry Adams’ friend, Alex Reid!
Of course, it is not just the judicial and criminal justice system which the peace process corrupted, it equally perverted the democratic process. So, that today, we are the only place in the democratic world where voters can’t vote a party out of government, or even have an Opposition, all courtesy of the Provo-pleasing mandatory coalition system. This deviant system was designed to guarantee IRA/Sinn Fein a place at the heart of government, as a reward for killing less people. So long as it continues, we will never have good government, or government capable of delivering anything other than dysfunctional logjam.
Hence, TUV’s consistent rejection of the peace process corruption of both our political and justice systems.