Chief Constable Matt Baggott to meet the head of the HET on Monday to discuss his future

THE head of the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) is to meet the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott on Monday to discuss his future.

It follows a damning report last week into army killings during the Troubles by the HET which were less rigorous than other investigations.

Following the report,  the Policing Board said it had no confidence in the HET headed up by Dave Cox, a former commander in Scotland Yard.

Mr Baggott has been asked to examine the role of Dave Cox and if the HET should continue after Sinn Féin called for Mr Cox to step down.

The talks will be held at PSNI headquarters in Brooklyn, east Belfast.

Mr Cox’s future now hangs in the balance.

According to the policing watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the HET has serious shortcomings and risks losing the confidence of victims’ families.

It said the PSNI unit set up to probe more than 3,000 deaths in Northern Ireland had been treating military cases differently to other cases as a matter of policy.

Members of the Policing Board met last Thursday to discuss the findings.

In a statement the board said it has “no confidence in the leadership” of the HET and has asked the Chief Constable to review the organisation’s management.

The board added: “The HET should continue the process of conducting all other reviews but it should not finalise any cases until all the necessary reforms are completed.

“The board has established a dedicated working group to take forward and oversee the implementation of all of the recommendations in the HMIC Report.

End of the Road for the head of the Historical Enquiries Team boss Dave Cox?

“This group, comprising political and independent membership, will also review PSNI failures to respond promptly to issues raised in relation to the work of the HET.”

Matt Baggott later apologised and said all military cases will be re-examined.

He said: “Let me say at the outset that I am sorry that HET put in place a policy that was wrong.

“HET is unique and so is the task they fulfil. There was no easy or established template to be followed. Notwithstanding this, a differential approach to military cases is wrong. I give you my assurance that this has ended.”