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NI: N Ireland: Attempt to bug Sinn Fein negotiator

01 March 1998

Bugging equipment has been found at the home of a relative of Gerry Kelly, one of Sinn Fein's negotiating team at the recent talks. Two devices were found at the house and it is being assumed that Kelly was the target because the house is sometimes frequented by him. The listening devices are thought to have been in the house for up to three years and they were found by builders carrying out renovations. The discovery occurred several weeks ago and the bugs were concealed in the joists of a bedroom floor. The DUP MP Peter Robinson has claimed that Kelly was tipped off by Secretary of State Mo Mowlam who had seen reports compiled from the listening device among Cabinet papers. Sinn Fein sources have denied this. Kelly has said that "Sinn Fein activists have a working assumption that offices and homes are routinely targeted by the British for surveillance. At a time when Sinn Fein was involved in serious negotiations with the British government this was clearly an act of bad faith". He went on to describe the bugging operation as in keeping with the "securocrat" mentality which had led to the bugging of an office allocated to Sinn Fein at Stormont when the Party first began discussions with government ministers. On this occasion, a listening device was found by Sinn Fein's security staff in a photocopier provided in the office.