A senior PSNI officer leading the investigation into the killing of Kevin McGuigan in east Belfast has linked his death to the Provisional IRA.
Detective superintendent Kevin Geddes said the investigation was at an early stage, but definite lines of inquiry are being pursued in relation to the killing of the 53-year-old outside his home at Comber Court in the Short Strand area on Wednesday, August 12th.
It has been suggested that ex-Provisional IRA members shot dead the father of nine in a revenge attack over the May murder of former IRA commander Jock Davison in the Markets area of the city.
If it were established that the PIRA – which announced an end to armed conflict just over 10 years ago – is involved in the murder, it could have significant consequences at Stormont.
A man in his 60s, the eighth person detained in the murder inquiry, was arrested in East Belfast on Friday morning. He has been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Antrim Police Station for questioning.
First Minister Peter Robinson said last night that his Democratic Unionist Party would hold talks about the potential exclusion of Sinn Féin from the Assembly, and added that "before the return of the Assembly from recess we will seek a further update from the chief constable to establish his conclusion regarding those responsible and the role of those in republican movement who are associated with Sinn Féin".
Peaceful means
Mr Robinson said the DUP entered government with republicans on a commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic means through support for the police, the courts and the rule of law as well as the dismantling of the structures of their terrorist organisation.
A DUP walkout would cause the collapse of the powersharing administration.
Det Supt Geddes said the PSNI deals in “hard information, intelligence and facts” and not speculation.
“A main line of inquiry in this investigation is that Kevin McGuigan was murdered by individuals seeking revenge for the murder of Jock Davison in May. Part of this main line of inquiry is that a group which calls itself Action Against Drugs (AAD) was closely involved in the murder.
“On 6th August AAD stated that it intended to ‘execute’ the killer or killers of Jock Davison. Our assessment is that AAD is a group of individuals from a variety of backgrounds – some criminals, some violent dissident republicans and some former members of the Provisional IRA – who have formed into a dangerous, possibly murderous, grouping in order to pursue their own criminal agenda.
“It is also our assessment that some members and associates of AAD are, or were, members of the Provisional IRA. One of our major lines of inquiry is that members of the Provisional IRA were involved in this murder.”
Questions
As well as Mr Robinson, several other unionist politicians voiced concern yesterday evening, including UUP leader Mike Nesbitt, who said the statement from the PSNI raises many questions.
“It is important that those questions are answered, otherwise the poison of speculation will fester and infect the political process,” he said.
However, Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said last night that both killings were "absolutely wrong" and denied any IRA involvement, saying there were "no republicans involved in these killings".
“If it was the AAD, I am telling you it was a criminal gang,” he said. “Anyone that has any information about either of these killings needs to bring it forward, whoever is involved in these killings needs taken off the streets and the bereaved families need to bring some sort of closure, both bereaved families.”
He said the “IRA has gone. It has left the stage.”