The chief of the Operation Kenova probe said it appeared the files contain “significant new material which appears to point to new investigative leads not previously known”. In a statement, PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher said: “It is unacceptable that MI5 continue to provide material to the Operation Kenova Team so long after they undertook to have given full access to Kenova of all the material they held about the agent Stakeknife. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in Northern Ireland found there was insufficient evidence to pursue any cases. Mr Boutcher said that he is concerned about an “unhelpful protectionist approach to disclosure” in relation to Northern Ireland legacy issues from intelligence authorities. “Importantly the material does not indicate further murders of individuals that involved the agent Stakeknife and as such no further deaths would fall into the Operation Kenova Terms of Reference based on the now disclosed material,” he said.

Source: The Herald August 07, 2024 18:00 UTC