The British government has claimed that recently disclosed MI5 files to the Operation Kenova investigation team were discovered during “the process of digitising wider historical records”.
Operation Kenova was established in 2016 to investigate the activities the agent known as Stakeknife - who was exposed as Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci in 2003.
He was a former commander of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU) and has been linked to the murders of several people.
Also known as the “Nutting Squad”, the ISU was responsible for exposing and killing informers.
Operation Kenova, which has cost around £40m, published an interim report about its investigation in March.
It has emerged that in hundreds of pages of “significant new material” were found by MI5 just weeks later, in early April.
The Operation Kenova team was notified of more discoveries in mid-July.
Sir Iain Livingstone, who heads Operation Kenova, recently met with Secretary of State Hilary Benn and has also written to the Labour MP voicing his “great concern” over the development.
When asked if Mr Benn had any response to the concerns raised, a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Office referred the Irish News to the Home Office, which is based in London.
In a statement issued through the Home Office the British government said its “deepest sympathies remain with all the families who lost loved ones during that very dark period in Northern Ireland”.
The statement also claimed that the new material was discovered as MI5 updated its records.
“In the process of digitising wider historical records, additional files that were of relevance to the Kenova investigation were discovered,” it said.
“The Security Service made Kenova senior leadership aware of this discovery, and has made this material available for review, at the earliest opportunity - as it has with other appropriate authorities.
“The Security Service continues to cooperate fully with the Kenova investigation, as it has done throughout its proceedings.”
Some relatives of people killed by the IRA’s ISU have now told how they have “lost faith” in the British state and MI5 when it comes to disclosing key information.
