The widow of an IRA member, whose homicide case was examined as part of the £40m Operation Kenova, has initiated legal proceedings due to the decision not to bring any charges related to his assassination. Anthony Braniff, aged 22, was massacred by the IRA in September 1981, labelled as a snitch. His demise was a focal point in a seven-year probe into the actions of the reputed IRA enforcer and British Army operative Stakeknife, known to be Freddie Scappaticci, a resident of west Belfast.
In February of the current year, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) stated that post-Kenova investigation, nobody would be held criminally liable. Mary Braniff, the wife of Mr Braniff, has taken a step to submit documentation at the High Court in Belfast, pleading for a judicial examination of the decision not to press charges. Her legal representation posits that the decision was unreasonable, violated human rights norms, and neglected to properly evaluate potential health and safety breaches.
Kevin Winters, solicitor of KRW Law, commented, “It would be outrageous if, after seven years and a £40m inquiry, not a single charge arises from Kenova. This challenge is a step forward to prevent that from happening”. Scappaticci, who passed away last year, was implicated in over a dozen assassinations during his tenure in the IRA’s internal security team. Known as the “nutting squad”, this team was in charge of questioning and eliminating supposed security informants. Mr Braniff, a father of three from Ardoyne area in north Belfast, was a victim of this squad.
A report presented last month by Operation Kenova reveals that Stakeknife probably took more lives than he defended whilst working as a British informer at the core of the IRA.