KEN BARRETT ARRESTED FOR FINUCANE MURDER

A man has been charged in Belfast with murdering Belfast defence lawyer
Pat Finucane in 1989.

Mr Finucane was shot in front of his wife, Geraldine, and three
children at their home in north Belfast on February 12 1989.

His death is the principal focus of an ongoing controversy over British
collusion with unionist paramilitaries and an investigation by London
police chief John Stevens.

Unionist paramilitary William Stobie was charged with the murder in
1999 but the case collapsed two years later and he was murdered soon
afterwards.

Ken Barrett, who fled Belfast in 1999 after being branded a police
informer, faced a series of other charges when he appeared at Belfast
Magistrates Court.

They included attempting to murder Thomas McCreery and Elizabeth McEvoy
in 1991, taking four guns from a British Army armoury at Malone
Barracks, Belfast, in 1989, and handling 17 other weapons and
ammunition taken from the armoury.

Barrett was arrested by the Stevens Inquiry team at his home in Sussex
earlier this week and was flown back to Ireland for further
questioning.

Detective Inspector Hilary Warnock said when Barrett was charged at
Antrim police station on Thursday night he replied not guilty to all
the charges.

Barrett was remanded in custody until June 27.

BBC television reporter John Ware may be called as a prosecution
witness to testify against the man who he secretly filmed admitting the
murder of Pat Finucane.

A detective inspector told the court that Barrett had been arrested
after new evidence came to light during the last two years. The
detective said the new evidence included Barretts interview with
Panorama and two covert police operations.

Barrett was secretly recorded speaking to Panoramas John Ware 18 months
ago.

During the interview Barrett said that the RUC police not only knew of
his role as a UDA killer, but that it was an RUC Special Branch officer
who actually suggested that the UDA should murder Pat Finucane.