The Chief Constable of the PSNI is “standing over” his senior officer’s comments linking Provisional IRA members to the murder of Kevin McGuigan in east Belfast, Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly MLA has said.

Mr McGuigan, a father-of-nine, was shot dead on August 12th outside his Comber Court home in the Short Strand area of east Belfast in what is understood to have been retaliation for the murder of Gerard “Jock” Davison in May.

On Thursday, Det Supt Kevin Geddes, the police officer leading the investigation, said one definite line of inquiry was that members of the Provisional IRA had a role in Mr McGuigan's murder.

Since then, Sinn Féin has come under pressure from other Stormont parties.

DUP leader Peter Robinson suggested Sinn Féin would have to be excluded from government in Northern Ireland if it emerges the IRA was involved in murder, given the republican organisation had announced an end to its armed campaign in 2005.

‘Helpful’ meeting

On Saturday, Mr Kelly described a Sinn Féin meeting with the Chief Constable, George Hamilton, and other senior officers as "helpful" and "frank", and called again for detectives to be allowed to carry out investigations without constant speculation from some unionist politicians and the media.

“The Chief Constable agreed with us that Sinn Féin are clearly in support of the police, we are wedded to the peace process and the political process,” he said.

Mr Kelly again said the IRA “left the stage” in 2005, is “clearly not active” and also spoke of what George Hamilton’s view was on this controversial matter.

“The Chief Constable is standing by the statement by...Kevin Geddes,” Mr Kelly said. “We pointed out to him there were some contradictions in that statement. “He will deal with all of that, I understand in a press conference this afternoon.”

Families grieving

Mr Kelly said the police had to follow whatever evidence there is and reiterated that two families are grieving after the killings.

Following a series of meetings with Stormont parties, the Chief Constable was to brief the media on Saturday on “the current status and activities of the PIRA”.

Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has claimed the Chief Constable, Mr Hamilton, believes the IRA still exists.

Mr Nesbitt said Sinn Féin’s credibility was “in tatters” following the shooting dead of Mr McGuigan in east Belfast.

He held a meeting with Mr Hamilton on Saturday.

Mr Nesbitt said: “The Chief Constable repeated the police assessment that members of the IRA took part in Wednesday’s murder and that the IRA still exists, although what form it takes in 2015 is not fully clear.

“What is clear is that Sinn Féin’s credibility on this issue is in tatters.”

Additional reporting: Press Association