Nationalist reaction: Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, has reacted angrily to Mr Orde's claim of IRA involvement in the Belfast bank heist.
He said Mr Orde did not produce "a scrap of evidence" to that effect and said the claim was an attempt to marginalise his party. He said the IRA had spoken to him and denied any involvement in the crime.
Mr McGuinness told media at a Belfast press conference: "[Hugh Orde's] comments today in my opinion are nothing more than allegations and politically biased at that.
Mr Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin
"He has not produced one scap of evidence and those tempted to think an allegation equals evidence should re-evaluate what justice is all about.
"Within days of the robbery of the Northern Bank, and following media speculation and PSNI briefings which suggested IRA involvement, I went to the IRA and asked them about this and I was assured that they were not involved.
"I believe we are witnessing a renewed attempt to undermine the peace process and I think we need to think long and hard about who is setting this agenda and why.
"This is more to do with halting the process of change which Sinn Féin has been driving forward that anything that happened at the Northern Bank.
"We will resist any attempt to marginalise or criminalise our party.
"The campaign to smash Sinn Fein, to criminalise and marginalise the republican struggle, even the hunger strikers, all failed.
"We represent the majority of nationalists in the North and the securocrats and the DUP need to come to terms with this," Mr McGuinness added.
He said that any number of organisations could have been involved and that on the eve of raids on republican homes in Belfast, the PSNI were saying that any of five organisations could have been responsible.
"We have told both the British and Irish governments that Sinn Féin will not countenance any attempt by the DUP, or by the governments or by anyone else, to demonise this party," the former Stormont Education Minister added.
The SDLP said the governments must now "face criminality down". Mr Alex Attwood, the party's policing spokesman, said Mr Orde's comments would add to the growing sense on the ground that "who else" but the IRA could have carried out the robbery.
"People see through IRA denials and DUP finger-pointing and are making their own judgments," he said.
"There is also anger among many people who struggle to make ends meet and worry about money and then see the IRA steal and smuggle to feather their own nests and fund their lifestyles.
"The SDLP have spoken time and time again of the deep damage done to politics and democracy by the criminal actions of republicans and loyalists. The involvement of loyalists in the drug trade and corrupting communities is an acute threat. Time and time again the SDLP have said this must be faced up to. Now the governments must face criminality down."
Mr Attwood said the governments must "not in any shape or form diminish the essential message behind the Northern Bank raid, namely that the IRA intends, whatever else happened, to continue criminality".