North fails to scuttle contra inquiry

Press, 14 March 1987, Page 11

North fails to scuttle contra inquiry

NZPA-Reuter Washington The former White House aide, Oliver North, has lost a legal battle aimed at halting a special prosecutor’s criminal investigation into the Iran arms scandal, in which he played a key role. Federal Judge Barrington Parker yesterday dismissed Lieutenant-Colonel North’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law that empowered the special prosecutor, Lawrence Walsh, to investigate the arms affair. The ruling cleared the way for Mr Walsh to proceed with his probe into whether laws were violated by Colonel North or others in the secret sale of weapons to Iran and diversion of millions of dollars in profits to Nicaraguan contra rebels.

“The nation demands an expeditious and complete disclosure of our Government’s involvement in the Iran-contra affair,” said Judge Parker.

Colonel North had charged that Mr Walsh’s appointment by a special court last December was unconstitutional because it breached the separation between the executive and judicial branches of government, Colonel North, who was fired for allegedly masterminding the diversion of funds to the contras, has refused to testify before congressional committees investigating the scandal, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimi-nation.

The ruling was the latest development in a two-week-old legal battle pitting Mr Walsh and the Attorney-General Edwin Meese against Colonel North, the only identified target of the probe.

Mr Meese named Mr Walsh to the office of independent counsel at the Justice Department

Colonel North filed another lawsuit challenging that appointment, but it also was dismissed.