The development officer for the anti-intimidation group Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT), Vincent McKenna, has said he was wrong to have named two men from the border area as the Omagh bombers. Mr McKenna made the allegation a week ago during a speech at the annual conference of the UK Unionist Party. At the time, FAIT's director Sam Cushnahan demanded that Mr McKenna give a full account of his actions.
Yesterday Mr McKenna, a former republican, admitted he was wrong to have named the men, but refused to be drawn further. "The bottom line is that I was wrong as a representative of FAIT to enter into that sort of discussion," he said. "I didn't get up to grandstand and name these people and I should not have done it. But really it is an internal matter now and I can't comment further", he added.
In a joint statement, FAIT's management committee and Mr McKenna said that he accepted he was wrong to act contrary to the organisation's policy and that he would not do so again. The group also said it would now have less time to devote to "facilitating the media", as it was concentrating on preparing a report based on consultations with various bodies.
