Two PSNI officers identified by the judge in the Omagh bombing trial last month as having lied to the court are still on duty, the Chief Constable has admitted.
Sir Hugh Orde defended the decision to retain the constable and the chief inspector on duty, claiming he had not been advised to do otherwise by the Police Ombudsman or other authority.
Speaking after a lengthy meeting with the Policing Board, which holds the Chief Constable and the PSNI to account, Sir Hugh said: "I am not, and have never, ever, second-guessed a Police Ombudsman investigation. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is independent. They form a view and then report and I act on those reports.
"The public know me well enough to know I've accepted every single recommendation without exception from Nuala O'Loan and I have no intention of doing anything different with Al Hutchinson."
The meeting was called by Policing Board members to discuss with the Chief Constable the fallout from the release of Seán Hoey and his acquittal on 56 terrorist charges relating to the Real IRA bombing of Omagh and other serious incidents in 1998.
Mr Justice Weir's findings and in particular his scathing comments about aspects of the handling of the investigation and of vital forensic evidence continue to cause waves.
Relatives of the 29 dead in the Omagh bombing complained yesterday of feeling marginalised.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the bombing, said that he felt relatives' concerns were peripheral. He said the Policing Board have not consulted relatives since the verdict.
"It looks like the families here are incidental," he said.
Last night Policing Board members spent several hours after their meeting with Sir Hugh discussing his remarks and trying to agree a statement.
Unionist members, and DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson in particular, warned against a "witch hunt" against Sir Ronnie Flanagan, chief constable of the RUC which carried out the initial Omagh investigation that was subsequently criticised by Ms O'Loan.
Nationalist members, particularly from Sinn Féin, continued to stress the need for the issues arising out of the police handling of the case to be sorted out once and for all.
Files relating to the two officers are now with the Public Prosecution Service for consideration, where they have been for six months, it emerged yesterday.
The Chief Constable has made clear he will not act on their case until its director has decided on the next move or the Police Ombudsman issues his report.