Two men held over Finucane murder

Police in Northern Ireland confirmed the arrest of two men in connection with the killing of the Belfast lawyer Mr Pat Finucane…

Police in Northern Ireland confirmed the arrest of two men in connection with the killing of the Belfast lawyer Mr Pat Finucane 10 years ago.

A 26-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday. He is understood to be from the Glencairn area of Belfast. Police also detained a 30-year-old man early yesterday morning. Both men are being questioned by a team of Metropolitan police officers, headed by the Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner, Mr John Stevens, who is in charge of the most recent inquiry into Mr Finucane's death.

The RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, had asked Mr Stevens in March to reinvestigate the death of Mr Finucane as well as allegations of security force collusion in the killing.

Last month, one man was charged with the killing of the Belfast solicitor, who was shot dead at his north Belfast home by the UFF in February 1989.

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At his court appearance, Mr William Stobie (48) claimed he was an RUC Special Branch informer at the time of the killing. He alleged he had twice warned his handlers that a murder was to take place on the night Mr Finucane was shot dead.

As a result of his claims, the Finucane family reiterated their demand for a full and independent judicial inquiry into Mr Finucane's killing.

A 46-year-old man who was arrested on Tuesday in connection with firearms offences relating to Mr Finucane's death has since been released. He was questioned about the theft of weapons from a Belfast UDR base in the late 1980s.