The Five Demands

Sunday World issues apology to Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly (Belfast Telegraph)
A Sunday newspaper has issued a public apology to Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly after making false allegations against him in articles published 15 years ago.
In an apology read out, the ‘Sunday World’ newspaper admitted it had been wrong to claim Mr Kelly was the Chief of Staff of the IRA with responsibility for ending the IRA ceasefire in 1996, and also that he had engaged in a liaison with a US diplomat for ulterior motives.
The North Belfast MLA received an undisclosed sum after he settled his action against Sunday Newspapers Ltd, which publishes the newspaper.
Counsel for the newspaper, Oisin Quinn, said it “acknowledges that both articles were wrong” and “apologises to Gerry Kelly for the upset that the articles caused”.
The first article, published on February 25, 1996, stated that Gerry Kelly was the Chief of Staff of the IRA and had responsibility for ending the IRA ceasefire in February, 1996.
The second article, published on December 1, 1996, suggested that Gerry Kelly had a liaison with a US diplomat Martha Pope for ulterior motives.
Ms Pope was the chief aide to US Senator George Mitchell during his time as the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland.
The statement read: “The Sunday World acknowledges that both articles were wrong.
“The Sunday World accepts that Mr Kelly has played an important part in ending the violence in Northern Ireland and made a positive and significant contribution to the peace process.
“The Sunday World apologises to Gerry Kelly for the upset that the articles caused.”
Speaking outside the High Court in Dublin, Mr Kelly said: “This case could have been settled 15 years ago with a simple apology from the ‘Sunday World’ but they consistently fought to keep the case from going to court.”