Widespread condemnation after QIH boss abducted
There has been widespread condemnation following the abduction of senior Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) executive Kevin Lunney from outside his home yesterday evening.
Director and Chief Operating Officer of QIH Mr Lunney was returning home from work to his family home at Kinawley in Co Fermanagh when he was taken from his car and bundled into another at around 6.40pm yesterday evening (Tuesday 17 September).
Police have said that Mr Lunney was seriously assaulted before been abandoned at a crossroads at Drumcoughill, Cornafean, where he was discovered by local residents just before 9pm and was brought to hospital with serious injuries to his face and leg.
“I was horrified to hear about the attack on Kevin Lunney, a decent, honourable, hardworking man, who I have known for many years,” said Minister for Business Heather Humphreys upon hearing the news. “As a Director in the Quinn Group, he supports the employment of in excess of 700 people in the Ballyconnell area. This type of intimidation is despicable and needs to be eradicated form our society,” the Fine Gael TD said.
The Minister stated that her thoughts are now with Mr Lunney's family and friends, and she wished him a full and speedy recovery.
“I would strongly urge anyone with information to come forward to An Garda Siochana and I am assured that a full criminal investigation is underway.”
Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has also hit out at “the thugs who carried out this deplorable attack”, saying must be caught and brought to justice as a matter of urgency.
“This is the latest in a series of attacks on members of Quinn Industrial Holdings and I am particularly concerned that no arrests have been made, either side of the border, to date. It is a campaign of intimidation and the Gardaí and the PSNI must work together to ensure it ends and those responsible are brought to justice.
“I wish Mr. Lunney a speedy recovery, and I am thinking of him and his family at what must be a very frightening time. I reiterate again the need for these reprehensible thugs to be brought to justice and I hope they feel the full force of the law,” concluded Deputy Smith.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called for support for ongoing garda reforms are part of increasing the policing presence in the region.
He made the comments as part of a comprehensive reply to a question tabled by Cavan-Monaghan Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth in the Dáil earlier this lunchtime when she discussed the attack on Mr Lunney.
In his reply Mr Varadkar stated that more than 2,000 new gardai would be deployed to the nation's streets under new reforms being progressed by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
In connection with the investigation, the PSNI will this afternoon host a press conference at Enniskillen barracks where District Commander Clive Beatty will speak to reporters.
They are now working with their colleagues at An Garda Síochána to establish, among other leads, the movements of a black-coloured saloon Audi being driven in the Derrylin, Fermanagh/ Swanlinbar, Cavan areas.
Commenting also on the abduction, Adrian Barden, Chairman of QIH, has expressed frustration and anger that more has not been done to protect Mr Lunney, who he said “will require some considerable time to recover from the very severe injuries sustained in this brutal attack.”
Having “previously warned of the inevitability” of serious injury and potential loss of life arising from the escalation of sustained and increasingly serious criminal attacks. “We find it inexplicable that not a single arrest has been made north or south despite dozens of incidents.”
Prior intimidation includes physical assaults and arson attacks at or near the homes or businesses of senior QIH staff. There have been more than 60 individual incidents since 2011. See: https://bit.ly/2kPJpmU.
A spokesperson for QIH added that given the ongoing criminal investigation “neither QIH nor Mr Lunney have any further comment.”