ACC Mark Hamilton says Police Scotland to head inquiry to be launched into MI5 conduct over 10982 murder of Michael Tighe by RUC officers

THE PSNI has revealed that Police Scotland will conduct the investigation into the conduct of MI5 personnel over the 1982 hayshed shooting incident.

They are MI5 spooks are to be questioned about thee withholding, concealment and destruction of surveillance evidence concerning an operation at a hayshed at Ballynerry Road North, Lurgan on November 24 1982, where Michael Tighe was shot dead and Martin McCauley was wounded by members of the RUC.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton explained: “This follows a referral under Section 35(5) of the Justice Act 2002 from the Director of Public Prosecutions in January 2015 requesting that the Chief Constable undertook an investigation into this.

“In the interests of transparency and public confidence, the Chief Constable decided that the police investigation should be conducted by an external police service and asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspectorate to identify a service to undertake the investigation on behalf of the PSNI.

“Police Scotland will conduct the investigation in relation to the actions of individuals who are not police officers.

“The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland will carry out an investigation in relation to the conduct of a number of former RUC officers involved in the same investigation.

“Police Scotland will appoint a chief officer to lead the investigation who will have the full delegated authority of the Chief Constable.

“At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief officer will then report to the Chief Constable for onward transmission to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Any matters which come to the attention of the Police Scotland investigation team which indicate, or appear to indicate, any sort of criminality or misconduct by current or former police officers will be referred to PONI.”