Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Comments by former Chief Constable, Sir George Hamilton, about the IRA murder of Kevin McGuigan raise profound and troubling questions for policing and justice in Northern Ireland
“If, as Sir George now says, the PSNI had “reasonable grounds to suspect” that the murder took place “with the knowledge and concurrence of senior figures within the republican movement” why didn’t he tell the public this at the time? His remarks are the polar opposite of what the PSNI said in 2015 when they told us they had “no information” on whether the murder was sanctioned or not.
“Were any of the senior Republicans suspected of having knowledge of the murder interviewed? If not, why not? Surely that was a basic duty of the police in seeking to obtain justice in a murder investigation.
“These comments will reinforce the justifiable perception in many minds that Republicans are treated with kid gloves by the police.
“Victims of IRA violence know that all too often their concerns were brushed aside for the sake of the process. The latest comments about the McGuigan murder will entrench the belief that protecting the process will always come before the need for justice for victims of the Provisionals.”