BORIS Johnson has vowed to support thousands of ageing former police officers facing a new Northern Ireland witch-hunt after HOAR revealed they faced bankruptcy for being sued for minor misdemeanors.
Ex-RUC officers face being targeted by the Historical Investigations Unit’s “non-criminal police misconduct” probe but unlike military vets the wont be given help with legal fees.
Mr Johnson said the Government was looking at how it could support the ex-police officers
The PM said he was well aware of the issue and in another major victory for HOAR he said the Government was looking at how it could support the ex-police officers.
Mr Paisley grilled the PM about the issue at Prime Ministers Questions yesterday.
He asked Mr Johnson: Will the Prime Minister bring to an end the sickening outrage of a witch hunt against former police officers who served Ulster through the heat of the troubles and who will now face the most odious prosecutions for non-criminal misconduct? That would not be tolerated in this part of the United Kingdom and it should not be tolerated in mine.
The PM replied: We will make sure that we give support for all those who face unnecessary prosecution, and I am well aware of the issue that the hon. Gentleman raises.
The Police Federation of Northern Ireland insists a major new probe – set up on Sinn Feins demand – could end up with many of their old ranks dragged through the civil courts without any state support.
The Historical Investigations Unit will must be set up within 100 days of Decembers new power sharing agreement for the Stormont Assembly.
The ex-cops are particularly livid that that plans have been drawn up for the unit to probe a brand new charge of non-criminal police misconduct.
It was drawn up by Northern Ireland Office officials to look at allegations that dont break the law, from collusion to lost paperwork.
The retired officers fear it will be used to open a floodgate of civil claims against them.
While military vets legal expenses are picked up by the MoD, ex-RUC officers must pay their own bills, forcing many to dig deep into their pensions.
Former RUC Assistant Chief Constable Chris Albiston told HOAR: If police officers committed criminal offences while serving, there should be no place for them to hide and the evidence should be brought forward.
If the cases have failed, it is often because they exist only in the mind of the accusers.
Thats why non-criminal police misconduct was dreamt up, to keep the Republican narrative going.
A retried constable might be on a pension of 18,000 a year, while their legal bills could run to the hundreds of thousands. It will break them.
