A PUBLIC inquiry has begun in Belfast into allegations that agents of the state colluded in the murder of a Nationalist solicitor nearly 10 years ago.Mother-of-three Rosemary Nelson was killed in March 1999 when a Loyalist bomb exploded under her car. Nelson, 40, was one of the most high profile human rights solicitors in the North at the time.She had become a hate figure among Loyalists after representing Nationalist residents involved in the Drumcree dispute with Orangemen in Porta-down.Even before her murder Nelson had received death threats, both from Loyalists and also allegedly from a number of police officers.Within days of her murder speculation of security force collusion began to emerge.The make-up of the actual bomb, which included a sophisticated mercury-tilt switch device, suggested that the killers had acquired expert knowledge not previously associated with Loyalist paramilitaries.In 2003 retired Canadian Judge Peter Corry announced that he had found enough evidence of alleged collusion to warrant a public inquiry into Nelson's murder.Last year a Police Ombudsman's report found that the RUC had failed to properly investigate threats made against Nelson before her death.The public inquiry will now seek to discover whether the RUC, British Army or any other state agency colluded in the solicitor's murder or blocked attempts for the killers to be brought to justice. Nelson's brother, Eunan Magee, said his family would wait to see if the inquiry could get to the truth.He said the family would closely scrutinize whether the security forces would cooperate fully with the inquiry into his sister's murder.In previous inquiries both the police and British army have been accused of withholding vital evidence.The inquiry is expected to hear from dozens of witnesses and could last up to two years.A number of senior police officers are expected to be called to give evidence over the allegations that Nelson's life had been threatened by RUC officers.