McGuinness grilled on IRA role
Sinn Fein’s chief negotiator Martin McGuinness told the inquiry into the Bloody Sunday shootings that he was the second in command of the IRA in Londonderry on the day in question.
Lord Saville temporarily adjourned the inquiry for a short time, claiming that Mr McGuinness was failing to properly answer questions.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr McGuinness said he did not believe it was relevant to the inquiry what happened to his republican career after the killings.
Lord Saville later assured the Mid-Ulster MP that he had immunity from prosecution.
McGuinness told the Saville Inquiry that within two weeks of Bloody Sunday he was leading the IRA in Derry.
The Saville Inquiry is investigating the fatal shooting of 13 civilians on a civil rights march by British soldiers on January 30th 1972 in Derry. Another man died later from his injuries.
Mr McGuinness explained that he had been a member of the Official IRA before leaving within weeks for the Provisionals in 1970.
He also insisted that the actual Derry commander of the Provisional IRA on Bloody Sunday was still alive and well and he did not know why he had not come forward to give evidence. He refused to name his commanding officer at the time of the tragedy.
Mr McGuinness lashed out at Paddy Ward, an earlier witness who had stated that the Sinn Fein man had been orchestrating violence on the day in question, calling him a “fantasist, liar, informer”.
He told the hearing that the IRA had agreed to a request from the organisers of the civil rights march to take no action against British military targets on the day.
Mr McGuinness has already denied reports that he fired the first shot on Bloody Sunday and accusations that he handed out detonators for nail bombs to the youth wing of the IRA.
Speaking to the press before entering the Guildhall today, Mr McGuinness declared: ” I am here for the families and for the truth they deserve.”
Mr McGuinness will face two days of questioning by the inquiry panel.
The Saville Inquiry opened in Derry three and a half years ago and is expected to finish hearing from witnesses by Christmas.
