Army allegations that some of the Bloody Sunday dead had IRA links were at odds with military intelligence, it was claimed today.
Controversial former information officer Colin Wallace also told the Saville Inquiry in Derry that the Provisionals had given assurances they would stay away from the civil rights demonstration.
When paratroopers opened fire in the Bogside on Bloody Sunday Mr Wallace was based at Army headquarters in Lisburn, Co Antrim.
Mr Wallace told how the Ministry of Defence produced an overnight press briefing alleging some of those shot had links with the IRA.
His statement, on which he will be cross-examined tomorrow, insisted these claims were contradicted by his unit's own intelligence.
'To the best of our knowledge only one of those killed had any republican links and that was very tenuous as a member of Fianna Eireann (the IRA's youth wing). The information was completely wrong as we had nothing on those individuals.'
Mr Wallace added: 'The reference to four of the deceased being on the wanted list is a big mystery to me because it broke all the rules that we had.'
He is the last key witness to appear at the Guildhall before the inquiry switches to London next week to hear months of evidence from former British soldiers and from politicians, including the then Prime Minister, Edward Heath.
