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Appendix 48
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S PRESS STATEMENT OF 19 JUNE 1980
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1980
ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS:
STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL ****
I HAVE READ THE STATEMENT BY MRS ELLIOTT MADE AT HER RECENT PRESS CONFERENCE. I ADMIRE MANY THINGS THAT MRS ELLIOTT HAS DONE. BUT SHE IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT.
THE INER TRUE FACTS ABOUT THE MATTERS OF WHICH MRS ELLIOTT SPOKE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1.
MRS ELLIOTT CAME TO SEE ME ON 20TH DECEMBER 1979 AND MADE ALLEGATIONS TO ME ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF SOME INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE S.1.0.
2.
BUT BEFORE THEN, THOSE AND SIMILAR ALLEGATIONS HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE AND WERE KNOWN TO THE GOVERNMENT. THEY HAD BEEN DRAWN TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND WERE BEING DEALT WITH,
3. ACCORDINGLY, WHEN I SAW MRS ELLIOTT I KNEW THE MATTER SHE SPOKE OF WAS ALREADY KNOWN. HOWEVER, I URGED HER THAT IF SHE HAD ANY EVIDENCE OF POLICE MISBEHAVIOUR SHE SHOULD COMPLAIN TO CAPO BUT THIS, SHE HAS NEVER DONE. SHE SAID SHE FEARED FOR THE JOB OF THE INSPECTOR SHE REFERS TO IN HER STATEMENT (HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS INSPECTOR XYZ). SHE HAS SINCE SAID THAT AT THAT TIME SHE DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH HIS NAME.
4.
IT IS TRUE THAT ON 24TH JANUARY, MRS ELLIOTT KINDLY CAME TO SEE ME AT MY REQUEST AND AFTER DISCUSSING OTHER THINGS SHE REPEATED HER ALLEGATION ABOUT INSPECTOR XYZ. IN HER PRESS STATEMENT SHE SAYS:
+AS I HAD MENTIONED TO BOTH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MR PELLY THE INCIDENT IN WHICH JOHN MACLENNAN WAS TO BE SET UP BY THE S.I.U., I IMAGINE THI3 SENIOR INSPECTOR MUST ALSO HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED.
I SHOULD NOW LIKE TO ASK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHETHER MY ALLEGATION WAS FOLLOWED UP. OR DID HE DISMISS THIS SERIOUS ALLEGATION AS MERE +GOSSIP AND TITTLE TATTLE+ AS STATED IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE+?
5. MRS ELLIOTT KNOWS PERFECTLY WELL THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION WHICH CONTAINS THE INNUENDO THAT I DID NOTHING, AND ALSO THAT PERHAPS INSPECTOR MACLENNAN WAS SET UP. SO FAR AS THE LATTER ALLEGATION IS CONCERNED SHE WROTE ON 29TH JANUARY: +XYZ WAS SHOCKED AND REFUSED TO SET UP THE CRIME.+ SHE SAID THE SAME IN HER STATEMENT TO MR PELLY. SO FAR AS THE INNUENDO THAT I FAILED TO FOLLOW UP HER ALLEGATION IS CONCERNED. THE FACTS ARE THAT ON 2ND FEBRUARY I WROTE TO MRS ELLIOTT AS FOLLOWS: