A FORMER British soldier has described the investigation into the Bloody Sunday killings in which 14 civilians were killed by British troops as “a farce”.
Tim Collins, 55, a Northern Irishman served with the British Army in the 1980s and 1990s, commented on how the investigation is a “political stunt”.
“The Bloody Sunday farce is less about justice for those killed and wounded and more of a political stunt and cannot be taken seriously,” reports The Belfast Newsletter.
The landmark first arrest in connection with Bloody Sunday took place last November.
A former British soldier was detained by PSNI officers but was released the following day.
His marked the first arrest in the case – some 43 years on from the incident.
On January 30, 1972, British troops opened fire on a civilian march in Derry city, fatally wounding 14 people.
The Saville Enquiry, which concluded in 2010, found that the British troops opened fire on the civilian crowds first – prompting British Prime Minister David Cameron to issue an apology to the victims’ families.
Mr Collins, a former Royal Irish Regiment colonel, condemned the investigation that is being carried out in the North of Ireland that saw the first arrest in the historic case.
Following the release of the British soldier in the North of Ireland, who is now in his 60s, a separate group of former paratroopers based in Britain lodged a successful bid to stop their transfer to the North of Ireland to be quizzed by PSNI officers in relation to Bloody Sunday.
This Saturday marks the 44th anniversary of the shootings.
