Freddie Scappaticci, the former deputy chief of the IRA’s spy catcher unit, was under MI5 protection when he died and so far the British spy organisation has failed to explain what was the cause of his death, which was revealed last week by the police team headed by former Bedfordshire Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, whose detectives are, inter alia, investigating his activities and the role played by British state agencies during the Troubles.
It is understood that the Boutcher team was not told of his death until a week afterwards, by which time Scappaticci’s funeral had been held. No explanation of Scappaticci’s death has so far been given by MI5, or his former employers in the British Army.
Scappaticci was an agent of the British Army’s intelligence outfit during the Troubles, a group known as the Force Research Unit (FRU) which ran spies in both Loyalist and Republican paramilitary groups. Regarded as the most damaging spy to betray the modern IRA he was the number two in the IRA’s spycatching outfit, the Internal Security Unit (ISU), whose access to personnel and departments in the IRA was absolute and, with one exception, beyond challenge.
Ironically, Scappaticci and his boss in the ISU, a former British soldier, lost their jobs, and the British lost their most valuable IRA spy ever when, in a classic case of overreach, they asked the Chief of Staff for permission to investigate the Army Council. The Chief of Staff was outraged, sacked Scap and his boss and appointed a new leadership. The top IRA spycatcher who took over was a graduate of one of Oxford University’s more prestigious colleges but the British lost a priceless spy at the heart of the IRA.
Scap was being held under MI5 protection ostensibly because the military does not have facilities to hold someone of Scappaticci’s status and ill health, the latter being a matter of some mystery. As in life, Scappaticci’s death is likely to be a matter of great controversy. But one thing is sure: the families of his many victims are not now going to have their day in court.
The Broken Elbow 
Reblogged this on seachranaidhe1.
A lot of things need explained ….Bob
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He got some hospital bills paid by Bill Flynn CEO and former chairman emeritus of the insurance giant Mutual of America but that was in an emergency – don’t know about dental bills but he and Martin certainly got a tooth polishing job that didn’t look cheap – I remember the day I saw them with shiny white pegs and thinking ‘they’re up to something’…..
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“Even after Joe died I recall one of my sons was walking through the village when a policeman blocked his path and told him that he would go the same way as his dad.”