Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is to take legal action against Independent Newspapers in relation to an article about his role in the his brother's trial.

Mr Adams has instructed solicitor Paul Tweed to issue proceedings against the newspaper group over an article that made certain assertions about his role in the criminal trial of his brother Liam Adams.

Mr Adams denied as untrue and without foundation all of the main assertions in the article; namely that he was tipped off about the case before the trial; that a police officer discussed details of the case with him, that he acquiesced in any process or that he engaged in any inappropriate conduct in relation to the giving of his evidence.

Describing the article as misleading and inaccurate, he contended it was typical of the “scurrilous approach that we get from that group of newspapers when dealing with me or with Sinn Féin”.

Asked did he have faith in the PSNI following his arrest and questioning, he said he had faith in the structures and accountability mechanisms and other protocols that he was party to put in place.

“Does that mean that we can be totally contented about how things proceed? Recent events in this State show that you can never be vigilant enough,” he said.