Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Buried in the shameful report into policing in South Armagh is the fact that one of the sources for data used in the report was “Community Surveys administered by Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) and Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP)”.
“Community Restorative Justice is the same organisation the Chief Constable met in March this year, tweeting a picture of a video meeting with a delegation from the group. Who was included in the meeting? None other than Harry Maguire who received a life sentence for his role in the abduction and murder of corporals Derek Howes and David Wood after they strayed into the path of an IRA funeral in 1988.
“Following the tweet Simon Byrne was quite rightly criticised by those representing innocent victims.
“Now we find that a report which has its origins in a tweet which offended Republicans because the Chief Constable posed with a gun outside Crossmaglen PSNI station was put together with the help of Maguire’s organisation – he is still listed as director on the CRJI website today.
“How perverse that such a firm should be handed a key role by the PSNI in the development of this report! How wicked that the Chief Constable would be tripping over himself to sign up to every one of the recommendations!”