Freddie Scappaticci, who denied being a top Army agent in the IRA, was spared after facing suspicion.
The Provisional IRA is estimated to have killed more than 70 people it accused of acting as informers.
When he was publicly unmasked in newspapers as Stakeknife about 13 years later, the IRA and Sinn Féin went along with his denial.The journalist reported on the brief press conference in 2003 at which Mr Scappaticci rejected reports that he was Stakeknife. "My suspicion also is had the IRA shot him, it would have been the end of major political negotiations which Sinn Féin were in the middle of to put Stormont back together."No charges for 15 people after Stakeknife inquiry
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