A new report into the activities of the top British spy inside the IRA during The Troubles has said that he “committed crimes of the worst possible kind”, including torture and murder, and should be publicly named by the UK government.
It’s widely accepted that the late republican Freddie Scappaticci was the agent, codenamed “Stakeknife”.
He headed the IRA‘s so-called “nutting squad”, a notorious internal security unit tasked with hunting and executing informants, but was himself operating as a mole for British intelligence.
The final report of a seven-year investigation named Operation Kenova has found that “there is a compelling ethical case” to reveal the agent’s identity.
Operation Kenova live: ‘Stakeknife’ spy inside IRA committed ‘worst possible’ crimes
Head of Kenova Sir Iain Livingstone said that “it is in the public interest that Stakeknife is named”. He urged the government to depart from its “neither confirm nor deny” (NCND) policy on the grounds of public interest.
It’s understood that the government believes Stakeknife cannot be officially named at this time due to some outstanding legal issues. Sky News has approached No 10 Downing Street for comment.
Freddie Scappaticci died two years ago denying that he was the agent, but all sides in Northern Ireland accept his denial was false.
The report also found a “significant failure” by MI5 in its late provision of materials to the investigation. “The further material revealed MI5 had earlier and greater knowledge of the agent than previously stated,” the report says.
Sir Ian Livingstone added that “further investigative opportunities were undoubtedly lost”, and that the confidence of the communities in Northern Ireland was undermined. Sky News has approached the security agency for comment.
Stakeknife produced a “vast” amount of intelligence. 3,517 reports from the agent were discovered, including 377 from one 18-month period. But the report found the intelligence was not shared with those who could have used it to save lives.
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Ireland correspondent
He was the most notorious spy of the Troubles. A vicious spy-catcher who was a traitor himself.
Today’s final report into the activities of “Stakeknife” will continue to gall the victims of the IRA’s brutal internal system of “justice”.
We were familiar with many of its findings from last year’s interim report.
We knew Stakeknife’s record in saving lives – the necessary evil school of thought – was greatly exaggerated, and he actually cost more lives than he saved.
We knew his British security forces handlers failed to use intelligence to save lives, in order to protect their “golden egg” from exposure.
We didn’t know their special unit was called “the rat hole”, or that the agent’s betrayal was effectively carried out for financial reward… details that make the whole episode seem even more sordid.
Relatives of those he helped to murder will be disgusted at revelations that his handlers twice took him on holiday out of Northern Ireland – even flying him on military aircraft – at a time when the police were hunting him for murder.
Even now, after an exhaustive inquiry into his activities, Operation Kenova finds that MI5 are responsible for “a significant failure” in the late discovery of important material – costing the team investigative opportunities.
Failure upon failure, decade after decade.
The time for official silence over the spy’s identity must be over.
The dogs on the street in West Belfast know it was Freddie Scappaticci.
Kenova wants the prime minister to authorise his official naming. With no prosecutions in the offing, and Scappaticci in his grave, it may at least bring some succour to the victims’ families today.
Their loved ones were deemed traitors at the height of a dirty war. Tortured, shot in the head, and dumped.
Funerals were low-key, stigma-bound affairs, often taking place early in the morning, with few attendees. Shame hung over these republican families for years.
The man responsible fled Northern Ireland and died in hiding.
Today’s report contains few shocks, but similarly little comfort for the victims of the nutting squad.
Last year, Operation Kenova’s interim report found the security forces were frequently aware of imminent abductions and murders but failed to protect those at risk.
Today’s report found his army handlers even took Stakeknife out of Northern Ireland for two holidays, at a time when he was sought by police for murder and kidnapping. He was flown on military aircraft and given military ID.
As a result, preventable deaths occurred with the security forces’ knowledge and those responsible were not brought to justice and were instead left free to reoffend.
‘Wholly unjustified criminality’
The 2024 report also concluded that Stakeknife was involved in “very serious and wholly unjustifiable criminality”, including murder, and claims his intelligence saved “countless” or “hundreds” of lives were exaggerated. It found that the number of lives saved by his spying ranged from the high single figures to low double figures.
This contradicted claims that Scappaticci had saved hundreds of lives during the years he was active, with a former defence chief describing him as “the goose that laid the golden eggs”. The interim report found that claim to be “inherently implausible” and “a comparison rooted in fables and fairy tales”.
The 2024 report also called on the UK government to apologise to bereaved families, given that many murders were avoidable.
‘Each evil act being the epitome of cowardice’
There was also a call for an apology from republican leaders for “the most shameful and evil” actions of the Provisional IRA (PIRA). “It was PIRA that committed the brutal acts of torture and murder, each evil act being the epitome of cowardice,” the report stated.
No prosecutions connected with Stakeknife will take place, prosecutors in Northern Ireland have already decided.
Families of IRA victims associated with Stakeknife will give their response to the Kenova report in a news conference later today.
They want Scappaticci to be officially named, and many are seeking an apology from the British government.
