The Police Federation in the North says that it has totally lost confidence in the Ombudsman. The Federation represents rank and file officers in the Police Service.
A Federation spokesman, Jimmy Spratt, said that he believes the Chief Constable fully rebutted Nuala O'Loan's criticisms of the investigation into the Omagh bombing. He called for the establishment of an independent office to which ordinary officers could take their complaints.
Also, the Police Superintendent's Federation has called for a watchdog to protect officers from the Ombudsman. The statements come amid a developing row over the Ombudsman's report on the handling of the police investigation into the 1998 bomb. Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan has rejected the criticisms levelled at the force.
Meanwhile, relatives of the Omagh bomb victims are to discuss their situation over the weekend. RTÉ News understands that some of them want to withdraw co-operation from the police investigation and may soon demand a full public enquiry on the police handling of the investigation.
Yesterday in Omagh, when relatives met the Chief Constable, several factors, including the presentation made by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the presence of the Gardaí, and the amount of documentation put before them combined to curb the anger in some of the relatives.
But that situation is changing as the families are looking for answers, not just from the Police. On an Ulster television programme last night, one relative, Michael Gallagher, challenged Sinn Féin MP, Pat Doherty several times, to call on those with information on the Omagh bomb to furnish it to the Gardaí.
