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>IRA double agent fresh suspect in shooting > > > > > >MURDERED: Donaldson > >O'LOAN: Investigation > > > >JIM CUSACK > >ANOTHER double agent inside the IRA in Derrywho wanted >to keep his secret safe is now believed tohave been >involved in the murder of Denis Donaldson, the former >Special Branch agent shot dead at hisDonegal retreat a >year agolast week. > >According to republican sources in the North, >attention has shifted from a Co Tyrone man, living in >Cavan, who was at first believed to be the killer. He >had a personalgripe against the Sinn Fein leadership >and Donaldson in particular and was knownto have been >plotting to kill the former assistant to Gerry Adams. > >However, the sources now say the team involved >travelled to Donaldson's hideout near Glenties, Co >Donegal from Derry and that at least one of the team >may have feared that Donaldson might have known that >he too was an informer. > >Donaldson was shot dead at point-blank range with a >shotgun as he answered the door to a caller on the >evening of April 4 last year. > >One of the shots almost severed his hand as he raised >his arms in a defensive reaction. According to the >sources, there has been a growing sense of paranoia >among the many former agents inside the IRA. > >This has been increased by the actions of the North's >Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, who has been carrying >out investigations into the activities of both >republican and loyalist agents. > >Along with her investigations into agents inside the >loyalist paramilitaries, Mrs O'Loan is now >concentrating on IRA agents who carried out murders >while working for the police or British Army. One of >the figures currently under investigation isknown to >have been close to Donaldson. > >Belfast republicans now believe that Mrs O'Loan's team >of investigators may start to unravel the network of >IRA informers who were granted immunity for passing on >information which was used to prevent, literally, >hundreds of IRA attacks. > >One source in Belfast said last week that, in the case >of Denis Donaldson, it was quite likely that a >decision was taken at a high level in the IRA by >someone working for the security services to kill him >before he gave away information that could lead to >their own unmasking. > >His murder is also believed to have been designed to >send out signals to any other agents to stay silent. > >Donaldson was unmasked after being caught as part of a >PSNI investigation intothe IRA's spy ring which he was >running inside theStormont Government and Assembly >buildings. His arrest took place without the knowledge >of his former police handlers. > >During the course of the investigation after his >arrest, however, it emerged that he had been working >for years as an agent inside both the IRA and Sinn >Fein. This information would, necessarily, have come >to light if the case had gone to court. His role as a >double agent came to light when a decision was made by >the British Government to enter a 'public immunity' >order in respect of details of his work as an informer >for the RUC Special Branch. > >In similar fashion there are now growing concerns >among ex-IRA informers that their roles might also >emerge as the Police Ombudsman investigations progress >and widen. > >Mrs O'Loan's investigation into agents inside the IRA >has been prompted by a complaint by William Travers, >whose 22-year-old daughter was shot dead by the IRA as >the family emerged from St Brigid's Church in south >Belfast in April 1984. > >The intention was to murder Mr Travers because he was >a judge, but the gunmen fired repeatedly at >hisdaughter and also tried to shoot his wife in the >head. She was only saved when the gun jammed. Mr >Travers was shot six times but survived. His daughter >died in her mother's arms as she lay on the pavement >outside the Catholic Church. > >Mr Travers asked the Ombudsman to carry out an >investigation after a retired detective told him that >there was a cover-up after the murder to protect the >identity of a highly placed informant in the Belfast >IRA. > >That man is known to have been close to Denis >Donaldson during the 1980s at the time Donaldson was >recruited as an agent. > >Like many others, Donaldson agreed to work as an >informer after being caught red-handed with a gun. He >had already served a prison sentence and agreed to >inform rather than faceanother lengthy sentence.Police >sources in the North say that many IRA men and women >agreed to co-operate with them in similar >circumstances. > >Among those expected to be questioned is the former >head of internal security in the IRA, Freddie >Scappaticci, who was exposed as a British Army agent >inside the IRA four years ago. > >The family of a number of men shot dead by the IRA for >being alleged police orarmy agents have asked the >Police Ombudsman to investigate whether or not their >relatives were killed in orderto protect high-placed >informants working inside the IRA.

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