Saville Inquiry hears nail bomb claims
Monday, 20 October 2003 20:05
The Saville Inquiry sitting in London has been told that Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness distributed nail bombs to young IRA members on Bloody Sunday.
Paddy Ward, a former IRA man who is now in protective custody, says Mr McGuinness gave him bomb parts to launch an attack in Derry city centre.
To date, eight statements - some of them also from former IRA men - have been handed to the Saville Inquiry contradicting Mr Ward's version of events.
But he insisted today he was no Walter Mitty character. He described how Martin McGuinness, who was second in command in the IRA in Derry in January 1972, allegedly distributed 16 nailbombs.
Mr Ward said it was part of a plan to launch an attack on the security forces in Derry city centre on Bloody Sunday. According to Mr Ward, one of those given bombs was Gerald Donaghy who was later shot dead.
The 17-year-old was photographed with nail bombs in his pockets when his body was brought to an army post but others have already given evidence to the inquiry denying that he had nail bombs when he was shot.
Mr Ward said that he and others were briefed by Martin McGuinness on the day before Bloody Sunday and that Mr McGuinness issued the nail bombs an hour before the civil rights march began.
However, in statements to the inquiry Martin McGuinness described this version of events as 'ludicrous and full of factual inaccuracies.'
