A young Cullyhanna man has been officially warned by the PSNI that his life is being threatened by the IRA, it has been claimed. Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor, reports.
The support group working on behalf of the family of murdered south Armagh man Paul Quinn say they know the name of the individual but cannot supply further details at present.
The Irish Times was told yesterday the young man allegedly threatened is a potential witness in the Paul Quinn murder case. The PSNI said last night it could not comment.
Mr Quinn (21) was beaten to death by a gang in an isolated farm building in Co Monaghan near the border with Co Armagh last October.
The Garda said on Thursday it was following some 1,200 leads and had taken more than 400 witness statements on both sides of the Border.
The support group has already staged a series of public meetings in Armagh and Monaghan as well as meetings with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Members have vociferously supported the Quinn family's denial that the murdered man died as a result of involvement in crime.
The Quinn Support Group has also repeated its condemnation of "any and all attacks, intimidation, graffiti, finger-pointing and vandalism in any way connected with the brutal murder of Paul Quinn".
This followed claims by the family of another Cullyhanna man, Vincent Treanor, that he was the victim of a "campaign of intimidation and attacks on our home and property".
Reports in a local newspaper referred to claims by the Treanor family against the Quinn Support Group.
"Attempts have been made to burn our family home and a vehicle belonging to the family was maliciously burned," the Treanor family said.
"There has been an ongoing series of bottle and brick attacks on our home. Graffiti naming and threatening our father has been daubed throughout the area," the family claimed.
However, the Quinn Support Group has denied any involvement and called on the Treanors to bring any evidence about any crime to the PSNI.
"Immediately after the group was formed on 12th November, we issued a statement repeating the family's call for no retaliation of any kind right down to the level of petty vandalism.
"We called for graffiti then appearing on walls in Cullyhanna to be removed and we arranged for it to be replaced by respectful signs calling for truth and justice," the support group said.
"On behalf of the Quinn family and all who support it, we must forcefully reject any insinuation that any such actions against Vincent Treanor or anyone else are condoned in any way. They are not," the statement continued.