Operation Kenova is an ongoing criminal investigation into whether the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland failed to investigate as many as 18 murders in order to protect a high level double agent codenamed Stakeknife who worked for the Force Research Unit, while at the same time he was deeply embedded and trusted within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).[1] The investigation started in 2017, headed up by Jon Boutcher the former Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police until his appointment as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2023.[2] It is now led by Iain Livingstone, former Chief Constable of Police Scotland.[3]
Stakeknife, a Government asset and widely acknowledged to be Freddie Scappaticci led the IRA Internal Security Unit, also known as the Nutting Squad that had killed around thirty people while Scappaticci was involved with it.[1] Senior British officers had referred to Stakeknife as the "golden egg" due to the calibre of information he supplied.[1]
Research by the BBC television programme Panorama suggested that Stakeknife was so highly prized that other agents were sacrificed to conceal his identity.[1] Panorama claimed that Joseph Fenton was executed by the IRA despite Stakeknife informing his handlers that Fenton was to be killed.[1] The authorities failed to react and did nothing to prevent the murder.[1]
In July 2020 Boutcher expressed concern with the British Government's idea to close most legacy investigations and provide full investigations into only a few. He questioned whether the plan complied with the law.[2]
A year later, investigators working for Kenova announced that they had obtained new DNA evidence relating to the murder of Thomas Oliver.[4][5]