THE ULSTER Unionist Party former security spokesman Lord (Ken) Maginnis has criticised PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde for holding secret talks with members of the UDA about decommissioning.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) confirmed that Security Minister Paul Goggins and Sir Hugh Orde held talks at Castle Buildings, Stormont with members of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG), which provides political advice to the UDA, and with "other leading loyalists" on Monday night.
Senior sources confirmed that "leading loyalists" was a reference to UDA leaders including Jackie McDonald, the so-called brigadier of the UDA in south Belfast. Other members of the UDA's six-member ruling inner council were also present, sources said.
The talks did not result in any UDA commitment to disarm at any particular time, it is understood. Rather the nature of the discussions was Mr Goggins repeating that the UDA had a limited seven-month "window of opportunity" to move on arms before Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward considered suspending the special amnesty legislation which allows paramilitaries to decommission without fear of facing arms charges.
The UDA's response was in line with its previous comments, sources said, that it "wanted to bring its community" with the organisation on decommissioning, that loyalist communities did not want decommissioning, and that the UDA "needed help" to begin moving on weapons. This is generally interpreted as the UDA seeking additional funding for loyalist areas before it would seriously consider decommissioning.
Lord Maginnis, the former MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, described Sir Hugh's presence at the talks as "unbridled arrogance and patently idiotic". "We once had a police service that, despite sectarian conflict and horrific terrorism sought to keep itself free of political bias and partisan involvement - not an easy task in a near civil war situation. Now we have a police command structure whose chief officer reportedly sits down to 'negotiate' - to do deals - with those in possession of illegal arms - with terrorists and criminals.
"I don't care which tradition these people come from - disarmament is a political issue and no community should be left feeling that its chief constable and police service is compromised by involvement in a deal," he said.
A PSNI spokeswoman said Sir Hugh attended the meeting at the request of Mr Goggins. "The police service's record on dealing with loyalist paramilitaries and those involved in criminality is very clear, it will not be tolerated."
