The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, has issued a statement asking the UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, to "reflect and withdraw" his allegations that murdered solicitor Pat Finucane was "inextricably linked" to the IRA.
Ms O'Donnell said she was appalled and saddened that Mr Maginnis should make "such irresponsible and ill-founded" allegations. "It is a fundamental principle of law that the beliefs of clients should not be confused with the beliefs of those who represent them," she said. The remarks were "all the more reprehensible" bearing in mind Rosemary Nelson's murder.
Mr Maginnis last night stood by his allegation. "Liz O'Donnell in my experience is a sincere individual who must not sully her reputation by jumping to conclusions that are naive", he said, adding that Mr Finucane's murder was reprehensible but that did not detract from his claim - "whatever Ms O'Donnell wishes to believe" - that he was "inextricably linked" to the IRA.
Ms Bairbre de Brun of Sinn Fein said Mr Maginnis's "slanderous and disgraceful" remarks were designed to "exonerate the RUC from suggestions of collusion with loyalist death squads". In response, Mr Maginnis said he found it interesting that Ms de Brun was suggesting that association with the IRA was "slanderous".
