Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has said documents revealed in court early this weerk clearly point to a web of cover-up within the British government and their intelligence services about the murder of Pat Finucane.

The North Belfast MLA was speaking as he welcomed the decision by a judge to order the British government to produce before the court minutes of cabinet meetings and correspondence between MI5 and the NIO regarding the decision to refuse a public inquiry into the Pat Finucane killing.

The North Belfast MLA said:

“The correspondence already revealed in court today points to a web of cover-up within the British government from the time of Pat Finucane’s killing.

“David Cameron’s intelligence advisor said evidence available internally to the British government would, and I quote …‘suggest that within government at a high level this systematic problem with loyalist agents was known, but nothing was done about it.’

“It is clear from these comments why the British government are against a full public inquiry into the death of Pat Finucane.

“If David Cameron is to break with what his predecessors have done in Ireland then he needs to honour the commitment given at Weston Park and hold a public inquiry into this murder.

“If ever a case cried out for a public inquiry, this is one and these documents point to why the secrecy needs to end and the Finucane family be given access to the truth.”

Pat Finucane, a human rights lawyer from Belfast, was murdered in front of his wife and children on 12 February 1989 by the pro-British UDA. Pat had successfully challenged the British Government over several important human rights cases. One of those involved in his murder, Brian Nelson, was working for the Force Research Unit an undercover unit of British Military Intelligence.