The Irish News
Barry McCaffrey
An IRA spy alleged to be the British army agent 'Stakeknife' could be forced into court by the wife of another informer who claims she suffered a nervous breakdown after being kidnapped by him.
In 2003 west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci publicly denied claims that he was the agent known as 'Stakeknife' who infiltrated the highest ranks of the PIRA, heading its notorious 'nutting squad', which abducted and killed dozens of informers.
Three years later the 64 year-old had secured a court order banning newspapers from publishing any details of his whereabouts or any picture taken of him after May 2003.
But Scappaticci could now be forced back into court as a result of a legal challenge due to be heard in Belfast tomorrow.
The case is being taken by Margaret Keeley, whose husband - the MI5 agent known as 'Kevin Fulton' - infiltrated the IRA.
In August 1998 Fulton claims that he had warned his police handlers that the Real IRA was planning an attack shortly before 29 people and two unborn children were killed in Omagh.
The claim led to a damning inquiry by Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan that was highly critical of the RUC.
However, Margaret Keeley is now suing the Chief Constable and Ministry of Defence over an incident in which police allowed the IRA to abduct and torture her in 1994.
In February 1994 the couple were arrested by police and questioned for two days after the IRA attempted to murder senior RUC detective Derek Martindale in east Belfast.
It later emerged that Fulton had tipped-off police about the attack.
However, days after they were released the couple were ordered to attend an IRA investigation into how the attack had gone wrong.
They were held hostage at a house in the New Lodge area of north Belfast where they were repeatedly questioned about being informers.
The couple were freed but Fulton fled the country believing the IRA had uncovered his double life as an agent.
Margaret Keeley, who had not been aware her husband was an agent, suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of her ordeal and later identified Scappaticci as one of her captors.
Her solicitors have lodged a claim for damages against the Chief Constable over her RUC arrest claiming that her husband must have informed his handlers that she had no involvement in the attack.
However, a Belfast court will decide tomorrow if she can also sue Scappaticci and the Minstry of Defence for unlawful detention and assault.
Mrs Keeley's solicitor Kevin Winters predicted that the case would have major implications for other informer-related matters.
"The parameters of this individual legal action go well beyond Freddie Scappaticci," he said.
"It touches upon the misuse of sensitive intelligence information and the role of agents.
"It will focus on the whole area of collusion and the loss of lives of many people."
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