The Five Demands

Sono attualmente in corso indagini sui 2 ordigni trovati il 27 novembre, giorno in cui avrebbero dovuto svolgersi i funerali di Ihab Shoukri. Uno rinvenuto nel giardino della casa di residenza della convivente Emma Evans a Rathcoole e l’altro ritrovato nei pressi della Holy Trinity Parish Church.
Entrambi i dispositivi sono stati giudicati una farsa, dopo esplosioni programmate avvenute direttamente nei luoghi dei ritrovamenti.
Duecento le persone presenti ai funerali di Ihab Shrouki, morto il 22 novembre all’età di 34 anni e sulla cui causa della morte si stanno ancora facendo accertamenti. Subito imputata ad un’overdose, si è man mano fatta strada l’ipotesi che sia rimasto vittima di un attacco di epilessia, di cui soffriva già da tempo, come testimoniato dai familiari.
Presente anche Andre Shoukri, fratello del defunto, che sta attualmente scontanto una condanna di nove anni presso il carcere di Maghaberry.

Police investigating funeral bomb hoaxes
Andre (right) and Yehia Shoukri carry their brother Ihab’s coffin from Holy Trinity Church. Andre, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence, was granted compassionate leave from Maghaberry to attend the funeral.
POLICE are still investigating two elaborate bomb hoaxes which disrupted the funeral of leading north Belfast loyalist Ihab Shoukri last week.
Army Technical Officers (ATO) were called in to examine a suspicious object found in the garden of Shoukri’s girlfriend’s home in the Rathcoole estate just hours before the funeral was due to take place on Thursday morning (November 27).
ATO were then tasked to examine a second suspicious object discovered near Holy Trinity Parish Church, Ballysillan Road where the funeral service was scheduled to start at midday.
Controlled explosions were carried out at both locations, and a police spokesman confirmed that the devices were “a deliberate hoax.”
“Enquiries into both security alerts are still ongoing. Investigations are still at an early stage and we would appeal to anyone with information about either incident to contact us on 0845 600 8000,” she said.
More than 200 mourners attended the funeral, including Ihab’s brothers Andre and Yehia (Yuk). Andre, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for blackmail and intimidation, was granted a day’s compassionate leave from Maghabbery.
Ihab Shoukri died at a house in Grainon Way, Rathcoole during the night of Saturday, November 22.
The 34-year-old had been living in the estate with his girlfriend Emma Evans, and it is believed they were planning to marry later this month.
Suggestions that Shoukri had died from a drugs overdose were denied by his family. They claimed that he had been suffering from epileptic fits.
Originally from the Westland estate in Belfast, Shoukri was jailed for 15 months in June after admitting being a member of the UDA. He was released just a few weeks later because of the amount of time he had spent in prison awaiting trial.
Ihab Shoukri and his brother Andre were expelled from the mainstream UDA two years ago after joining up with a breakaway faction in South East Antrim.