There is speculation tonight that PSNI chief constable Mr Hugh Orde will say the IRA was linked to £22 million bank robbery when he meets senior members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board tomorrow.
Even though Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams claimed the Provisionals were not involved in the Northern Bank raid in Belfast, Chief Constable Orde is expected to confirm a definite republican connection to the robbery tomorrow.
The fallout from his announcement could effectively end chances of a deal before the General Election which is expected this year.
British and Irish government officials fear it could be months before they can even consider getting the negotiating process back on track in a bid to restore power sharing between unionists and nationalists in Belfast.
Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson tonight rejected the Sinn Fein leader's denial, insisting the onus was on the Chief Constable to detail what links there were between the robbery and the republican movement.
Last month, Mr Orde met with Mr Adams in Downing Street at the height of negotiations involving all sides which came agonisingly close to a settlement.
They broke down over the IRA's rejection of DUP demands for photographic evidence of disarmament.
Mr Robinson said: "I am not prepared to believe the PSNI are scurrying around the homes of republicans as part of an exercise to pass responsibility on to republicans.
"I believe they are following a definite line of inquiry and have reasons to believe the Provisional IRA was involved, but we will have to wait and see what the Chief Constable says.
"If it transpires that it is the IRA, then it could not have carried out this crime without the sanction of the so-called Army Council and everyone knows senior members of Sinn Fein serve on that council.
"That would mean the planning and preparation of the heist would have coincided with the participation of some of those individuals in a talks process aimed at ending such activity for good. If that is not duplicity, then I don't know what is."
PA