MI5 was aware that the British agent known as Stakeknife was recruited around 20 years before a former head of the spy agency has claimed it was told.
Former MI5 Director General Eliza Manningham-Buller claimed earlier this year her organisation only became aware of the agent’s status after it was asked to resettle him, which is thought to have been around 2003.
However, it is understood the organisaiton, which is also known as The Security Service, knew about Stakeknife, Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, in the early 1980′s – two decades before the former MI5 chief claimed the organisation was made aware.
A former commander with the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU), Scappaticci has been linked to the murder of several people.
The ISU was responsible for hunting down and killing informers.
Scappaticci, who worked for the Force Research Unit, an intelligence gathering branch of the British army, died of natural causes last year.
Earlier this month it emerged that MI5 has failed to disclose hundreds of pages, including “significant new information”, to Operation Kenova, which published a detailed interim report into the activities of Stakeknife in March.
A full and final report was expected to be made public next year.
Operation Kenova head Sir Iain Livingstone, who replaced PSNI chief Constable Jon Boutcher last year, has met with and raised concerns in writing to Secretary of State Hilary Benn.
In his correspondence Mr Livingstone said the new material appears to ”cast doubt on some of the documents and witness evidence obtained by Kenova and some statements made in the interim report”.
“This includes information provided by the Security Service around the dates when they became aware of the agent Stakeknife,” he wrote.
Earlier this year Ms Manningham-Buller, who led MI5 from 2002 -2007, said the agency only learned about Stakeknife when asked to resettle him.
Speaking on a podcast to former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart, Ms Manningham-Buller said: “We weren’t aware of Stakeknife until….we had responsibility, as we did in many other cases, for resettling him, he was an agent.”
In his letter Mr Livingstone also referred to “significant new material which appears to point to new investigative leads not previously known”.
The British government has claimed the newly disclosed files were discovered during “the process of digitising wider historical records”.
Lawyers representing families of those impacted by the Stakeknife have raised concerns.
Solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, said: “The interim Kenova report references the existence of other agents within PIRA ISU.
“Therefore MI5 must have known about all such agents from a much earlier date than previously disclosed to Kenova.
“That in turn must point to a much higher state oversight of all those agents including Fred Scappaticci.”
Mr Winters said he intends to contact Mr Benn “to urge him to meet with all our clients and immediately consider the grounds for an inquiry”.
“Given the positive stance taken by the new (secretary of state) on legacy matters we are confident he will be receptive to our latest application,” he added.
