Official title: The recruitment of Brian Nelson
In brief
- The Army's FRU re-recruited Nelson in the mid-1980s and he became the UDA's intelligence officer.
- De Silva treats Nelson as effectively in a position equivalent to a Ministry of Defence employee.
What this chapter covers
Chapter 6 tells the story of how Brian Nelson, a former soldier and UDA member, came to work for the Army's Force Research Unit (FRU). It covers his first period as an agent, his departure from Northern Ireland, his re-recruitment in the mid-1980s, the payments made to him and a trip he made to South Africa.
Key findings
- The FRU re-recruited Nelson in 1985–86 and he returned to Belfast, where he became the UDA's chief intelligence officer, the person who collated information on potential targets.
- The chapter examines what the FRU knew and intended when it placed him in that role. De Silva concludes that the Army must take a degree of responsibility for what followed.
- In the Prime Minister's words, summarising the report, Nelson should "properly be considered" to have been acting in a position equivalent to an employee of the Ministry of Defence.
Why it matters
Nelson's role as the UDA's intelligence officer while being an Army agent is the single most important fact in the case. This chapter shows how that situation came about. Chapter 7 then examines what he did in that role and chapter 21 his involvement in the Finucane murder.