Families of the five Lower Ormeau residents shot dead in the 1992 bookmaker's atrocity have given short shrift to the latest apology from the PSNI Chief Constable after the arrest of survivor Mark Sykes during their annual commemorative event on Friday. 

On Saturday evening, Chief Constable Simon Byrne revealed that one of the officers who disrupted the wreath-laying ceremony — to mark the 29th anniversary of the UDA attack on 5 February 1992 — had been suspended. Another had been "repositioned". The PSNI chief also apologised to the families for the hurt caused.

This is the third apology from a PSNI Chief Constable to the loved ones of Peter Magee (18), James Kennedy (15), Christy Doherty (51), William McManus (54) and Jack Duffin (66). Previous Chief Constable George Hamilton had to issue two apologies. First for handing over the rifle used in the attack to the Imperial War Museum when the investigation into the murders was still live. A second apology came after it was revealed that the PSNI had held back documents relating to the attack from the Police Ombudsman who was investigating allegations of collusion between the RUC, other state actors and the perpetrators. 

However, despite repeated apologies, the PSNI has steadfastly refused to release information to the courts which can help throw further light on the RUC's role in the Sean Graham's slaughter. 

"The core issue is the PSNI continues to deny truth and justice to the families by its actions in resisting the release of crucial material," said Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice.

The PSNI has moved repeatedly to stymie civil litigation by the families against the Chief Constable, the Ministry of Defence and the Secretary of State. Crown solicitors advised the courts that there were two tranches of disclosure, sensitive and non-sensitive. While much of the non-sensitive material has been released the Chief Constable has instructed lawyers to take the sensitive material, containing information essential to the families bid to prove collusion, into a secret court. It is believed the 30 arch-lever folders of sensitive documents which will now be examined in this secret court contain explosive information about the importation of weapons from South Africa in 1988 by British intelligence agent Brian Nelson. One of the firearms was used in the bookmaker's massacre. 

"If the Chief Constable is to apologise, it should be for instructing his lawyers to supress the truth and for taking refuge in secret courts," said a spokesperson for the families. "The truth can no longer be buried."