Day 258 - 07 Jun 96 - Page 49


     
     1        got involved in the anti-poll tax, but that had nothing at
     2        all to do with me.  I got it before then.
     3
     4   Q.   Just pause a moment, please.  In case anyone in the future
     5        wants to look it up it is day 45, page 49, line 9,
     6        Mr. Preston line 10, "The greatest catalyst for me in going
     7        forward were the Aims and Objectives of the organisation
     8        published by yourselves".  I do not want to look back to
     9        see whether "going forward" meant going forward with an
    10        inquiry or going forward with the action, but that is the
    11        reference.  Day 245, page 49.
    12
    13   MS. STEEL:   Right.
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is the one I had in mind.
    16
    17   MS. STEEL:   Presumably, if you had got a copy of this leaflet
    18        you would have kept it and not thrown it away?
    19        A.  Yes, I remember talking to Paul Preston about it.
    20
    21   Q.   So, in theory at least, it should be in one of the bundles?
    22        A.  Along with many other documents, which do appear there.
    23
    24   Q.   So far as I am aware it is not in there.  Just on that
    25        point, you said one of the other things about you deciding
    26        to take action was that you had spoken to members of the
    27        Special Branch, and -- well, the occasion you told us about
    28        was September 1989.  You said that you, or you and
    29        Mr. Preston, decided to take action by hiring inquiry
    30        agents, the decision was made some time in June or July.
    31        So, that means that prior to June or July you had meetings
    32        with Special Branch?
    33        A.  No, no.
    34
    35   Q.   No?
    36        A.  No, the only meeting I have had -- the only private
    37        meeting I had with Special Branch was about a month before
    38        the demonstration at Head Office.  I met a Special Branch
    39        officer on that day, and that is the only contact I have
    40        had in so far as London Greenpeace is concerned with
    41        Special Branch.
    42
    43   Q.   What you said previously about information that you had
    44        received from Special Branch being an influence in your
    45        decision to hire inquiry agents to investigate the group is
    46        incorrect?
    47        A.  If I said that I was mistaken.  The first time I spoke
    48        to Special Branch was a month before when I had already
    49        made the decision how I was going to carry out this
    50        operation. 
    51 
    52   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  A month before what? 
    53        A.  The demonstration outside of Head Office, my Lord.
    54        I may very well have received information from Special
    55        Branch about activities from you, but it has not
    56        registered.  You know, I cannot bring them to mind.  I have
    57        met with Special Branch about -----
    58
    59   MS. STEEL:   When you say "activities from you," you are talking
    60        about----

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