Row over interviewee identities
UTV News
Published Sunday, 28 July 2013
The controversy surrounding the Boston College interviews has taken another twist after those involved refused to identify three IRA members who took part in the project.
The tapes were obtained by the PSNI under a court order in connection with the investigation into the death of Jean McConville – one of the Disappeared.
Earlier this month, two PSNI detectives travelled to the US to bring back excerpts of interviews carried out at Boston College as part of their inquiry into the murder of west Belfast woman Jean McConville in 1972.
The interviews were carried out by journalists Ed Maloney and Anthony McIntyre and the project was overseen by the college.
A court ordered the college to hand over the material following the death of one of the interviewees, the former IRA bomber Dolours Price who died in January.
The police want to review the interviews conducted with Price.
It’s believed she alleged that Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams personally ordered the IRA abduction of the Belfast mother of 10.
However, Mr Adams has always denied the allegations and of ever being a member of the organisation.
In the latest twist, it has emerged that Boston College, cannot identify three of the interviewees.
The Sunday Times newspaper has reported that a lawyer for Ed Maloney and Anthony McIntyre, who conducted the interviews, wrote to the college declining to help.
He’s quoted as saying his clients’ obligations to the interviewees require them to resist any attempts to help identify those who are still alive.
Writing on his internet blog, Ed Moloney suggested the revelation means that almost half of the nine interviews given by IRA members are now of questionable legal value.
He has suggested one of the interviewees was Dolours Price but said it was not known whether her original contract authenticating the interview was lost or never collected from researchers in Ireland.
It’s reported that researchers could face legal action by the US Government for the entire set of interviews to be handed over.
Boston College Subpoena News 