Man 'followed to Dubai by British intelligence'
11 June 2011 --
THE brother of a man shot dead by British soldiers in Co Armagh is to take legal
action after claiming he was followed by intelligence officers on holiday all
the way to Dubai.
Peter McCaughey is a brother of Martin McCaughey who was shot dead along with
Dessie Grew near Loughgall in October 1990.
He said he had been forced to flee the United
Arab Emirates after being threatened by two men
who identified themselves as senior British intelligence officers.
The alleged approach, which Mr McCaughey described as being "like a 007 film",
is to be reported to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
The Dungannon man said two men with "posh public-school British accents" had
confronted him a few days into his trip to Dubai
this week.
He said one had been carrying a computer containing aerial pictures of Mr
McCaughey's house, car and children's school.
"The man said his name was Nick and he wanted to take me to
Afghanistan
to debrief me for two days, that no-one would ever have to know anything about
it," Mr McCaughey said.
"He said if I didn't go I'd be 'left at the side of the road' and they would see
1 was put in prison and my children would suffer.
"He followed me and when I tried to report him to hotel security he said that he
would have the local police arrest me and throw me in jail for six months.
"I was that terrified 1 went straight to my room and packed and headed for the
airport."
Mr McCaughey said by the time he reached the airport the two men were already
waiting for him.
He got the first flight out, which was to Birmingham.
"I feared for my life and just wanted out of Dubai,"
he sad.
"I really thought I was going to be disappeared by them boys, they were so
threatening."
On arrival in Birmingham Mr McCaughey said immigration police had taken him
aside and placed him in an interrogation room where a man who also identified
himself as British intelligence was waiting.
"He started on me again saying Nick was sorry he couldn't be there, only I'd
left Dubai
in such a hurry," Mr McCaughey said.
Last month the Supreme Court extended the scope of an inquest into the killing
of Mr McCaughey's brother.
He said he thought this ruling might have prompted the approach.
"I've been afraid to leave the house. These men knew every detail of my life,"
he said.
"I can only think the recent ruling regarding Martin's inquest has in some way
provoked them into targeting me."
Fearghal Shiels of Madden and Finucane
Solicitors said a complaint would be made.
"This is an unprecedented and extremely sinister level of harassment against Mr
McCaughey," he said.
"We will be lodging a detailed complaint with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal
about the outrageous and oppressive conduct of British intelligence personnel
towards our client."
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