{"id":4535,"date":"2018-12-18T13:41:10","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T13:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=4535"},"modified":"2018-12-18T13:41:42","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T13:41:42","slug":"stakeknife-prosecutions-to-be-recommended-next-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=4535","title":{"rendered":"Stakeknife: Prosecutions to be recommended next year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/stake.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-4536\" title=\"stake\" src=\"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/stake-300x168.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/stake-300x168.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/stake.jpg 660w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A police officer leading the inquiry into the activities of the man alleged to have been the Army&#8217;s most senior agent within the IRA is to recommend prosecutions.<\/p>\n<p>It is understood recommendations to prosecute a number of people will take place next year.<\/p>\n<p>A specialist team is investigating allegations of murder and torture by the agent codenamed Stakeknife.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>He has been named by the media as Freddie Scappaticci from west Belfast.<\/p>\n<p>The 72-year-old has been linked to dozens of murders while working as a member of the IRA&#8217;s internal security unit. He has strenuously denied the allegations.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-39561180\">Step back over Stakeknife, PPS deputy asked <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-39473345\">Chief investigator calls for witnesses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-36494590\">New investigation into Stakeknife launched<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-35043255\">Stakeknife linked to up to 50 murders<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The team is also examining alleged criminality by current and former police officers, members of the Army and MI5 and former members of the IRA.<\/p>\n<p>It has been revealed that detectives have interviewed 129 people, including an unspecified number of suspects from within the security forces and the IRA.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation, known as Operation Kenova, began in January last year and is being led by Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, from Bedfordshire Police.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This investigation has been hugely complex and, at times, challenging, but the team has been steadfast in its approach to gathering every possible piece of evidence,&#8221; he said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/10301\/production\/_98950366_presentational_grey_line464-nc.jpg\" alt=\"Presentational grey line\" width=\"464\" height=\"2\" data-highest-encountered-width=\"624\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Who is Stakeknife?<\/h2>\n<p>Fred Scappaticci is alleged to have been the most high-ranking British agent within the Provisional IRA, who was given the codename &#8216;Stakeknife&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>He was the grandson of an Italian immigrant who came to Northern Ireland in search of work.<\/p>\n<p>He has admitted, in the past, to being a republican but denies claims that he was an IRA informer.<\/p>\n<p>He is believed to have led the IRA&#8217;s internal security unit, known as &#8216;the nutting squad&#8217;, which was responsible for identifying and interrogating suspected informers.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Scappaticci left Northern Ireland when identified by the media as Stakeknife in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/10301\/production\/_98950366_presentational_grey_line464-nc.jpg\" alt=\"Presentational grey line\" width=\"464\" height=\"2\" data-highest-encountered-width=\"624\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is my intention to submit full files covering the entirety of the Operation Kenova terms of reference into the Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland during 2019.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr Boutcher also revealed that his team has gathered more than 1,200 documents, taken over 1,000 statements and made 199 requests for new forensic DNA examinations.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are going where the evidence takes us, so that has meant speaking to those with links to government, the police, military, intelligence agencies and paramilitary organisations,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The vast majority of people we have spoken to have been victims or witnesses however we have also identified various suspects during the course of the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We will continue to seek to identify and interview anyone thought to have information about the allegations we are investigating.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The officer appealed to anyone with information that could help the investigation to contact his team.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month Freddie Scappaticci <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-46453695\">was sentenced to three months in custody suspended for 12 months after admitting possession of extreme pornography.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Vincent Kearney<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" ><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"http:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" border=\"0\" style=\"padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\"); var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_counters_lang=\"en_US\";var hupso_title_t=\"Stakeknife: Prosecutions to be recommended next year\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A police officer leading the inquiry into the activities of the man alleged to have been the Army&#8217;s most senior agent within the IRA is to recommend prosecutions. It is understood recommendations to prosecute a number of people will take &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=4535\">Read more <span class=\"meta-nav\">&raquo;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" ><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"http:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" border=\"0\" style=\"padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\"); var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_counters_lang=\"en_US\";var hupso_title_t=\"Stakeknife: Prosecutions to be recommended next year\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4535"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4535"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4538,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4535\/revisions\/4538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}