Man arrested in O’Hagan murder probe charged with fraud

By Jonathan McCambridge (PA)

A man arrested by police investigating the murder of journalist Martin O’Hagan in Co Armagh has been charged with fraud by false representation.

Mr O’Hagan, 51, was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries as he walked home from a night out with his wife in Lurgan in September 2001.

No one has ever been successfully prosecuted for his murder.

The 42-year-old man had been arrested in England on Thursday.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “He was arrested in the Sheffield area yesterday morning with the assistance of Counter-Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police and has been transported to Northern Ireland for questioning in the serious crime suite at Musgrave police station.

“Detectives also conducted a search of a property in the Sheffield area as part of the operation.”

The PSNI later said he had been charged with fraud by false representation and is due to appear before Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday May 2.

Mr O’Hagan was working for the Sunday World when he was killed.

Seamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, said: “Our thoughts are with Martin’s daughters and the wider O’Hagan family circle at this time.”

Journalist Martin O’Hagan, who worked for the northern edition of the Dublin-based Sunday World (Sunday World/PA)