“The Republic and United Kingdom, all the apparatus they had, all the technology, their source network, these people should have been stopped and there has to be a reason why that didn’t happen.”
Baxter also alleged that the gardaí allowed bombs to be taken across the border into Northern Ireland and that “the government of Ireland had information that a bombing was imminent”.
He also told the inquiry about a test run of the bomb route was taken by two “known dissidents” the day before the bombing.
Senior counsel to the inquiry Paul Greaney KC, who was reading from Baxter’s report, outlined how the detective noted a vehicle bearing the registration number of Seamus McKenna’s car was recorded entering the Thiepval military base in Lisburn in September 1997.
It then re-emerged on the system on 12 August 1998 and was recorded crossing the border at Aughnacloy on 14 August, the day before the bombing.
Another vehicle also travelled the route, it was linked to Liam Campbell, he continued.
When asked about the report, Baxter added: “It might have been a test run in terms of timing how long it took from the origins of the bomb to the target site.”
Baxter said he concluded that the Omagh bombers had “free rein” from the middle of 1997 and the authorities allowed that to continue.
“There were a number of opportunities in the past when this group could have been disrupted,” he said.
He said he felt guilt about having knowledge of the bombing that he was unable to share with the victims and families.
“I sat for many meetings with various victims’ groups and I listened to what they were saying about Garda collusion.
“I listened to what they were saying about Garda knowledge, but Irish government cover ups, and everything in the north and I knew they were telling the truth but legally I couldn’t tell them, and I have to pay great respect to the effort that has brought the victims to this place where there is a legal forum where the truth can be told without fear of prosecution.
“It’s such a tragedy that we are here when this could have been resolved.”