Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, the senior Sinn Fein figure in the power-sharing government in Belfast, repeated his claim that the arrest of the party's leader on Wednesday was politically motivated.
And he warned that a bid by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to extend their questioning of Adams beyond the provisional 48 hours was causing growing anger.
"Yesterday I said that the timing of the arrest of Gerry Adams was politically motivated. And today's decision by the PSNI to seek an extension to his detention absolutely confirms that view," McGuinness told reporters.
The PSNI did not immediately confirm that they were applying for an extension but they must decide by Friday evening whether to charge Adams, release him or ask a judge for more time.
Adams, who played a leading role in the peace process in the troubled British province, strongly denies involvement in the abduction and murder of Jean McConville.
The widowed mother of 10 was snatched from her Belfast home in one of the most infamous cases of the three decades of sectarian conflict known as The Troubles.
She became one of 17 so-called "disappeared" until the Irish Republican Army (IRA) paramilitary group claimed her murder in 1999. Her body was found four years later.
McGuinness, a former IRA commander, said he expected Adams to be "totally and absolutely exonerated".
But he warned that if Adams were charged, Sinn Fein might "review" its support for policing, which is fundamental to the success of the Northern Ireland government, where Catholic Irish nationalists share power with pro-British Protestants.
McGuinness accused the "dark side" of policing for conspiring with republican enemies of the peace process.
Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford, a member of the cross-community Alliance party, said there was "no evidence" of political policing.
"There is no reason why the police carrying out their proper duties in the proper way should cause any political instability," he said.
"Unfortunately, it appears that the kind of comments which are coming from some politicians may contribute to that."
British Prime Minister David Cameron called McGuinness on Thursday night to discuss the arrest of Adams, who has been the public face of the movement to end British sovereignty in Northern Ireland for the past 30 years.
"The prime minister does appreciate the sensitivity of a case of this nature," said Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, a member of Cameron's government.
Cameron also called First Minister Peter Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who has backed the arrest of Adams as proof that "no one is above the law".
Adams has reportedly been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows police to question suspects for up to seven days without charge provided a judge agrees.
Catholic socialist Sinn Fein and the Protestant conservative DUP share power in an arrangement established under the 1998 Good Friday peace accords, which largely brought an end to the violence in the province.
But sporadic attacks continue, blamed on dissident republicans opposed to the peace process, and political leaders are still grappling with the legacy of the past.
McConville's children watched as she was dragged screaming out of their home in 1972 and one of them, Michael, said he is still too scared to name her attackers.
McConville's eldest daughter, Helen McKendry, however said that she was now ready to cooperate with police.
"I spent the first 20 years of my life being afraid of these people, of fearing to speak out, but now I am no longer afraid," she told The Guardian newspaper.
Although Adams insists he was never an official member of the IRA, the 65-year-old played a key role in persuading it to give up its weapons.
Former IRA leader Ivor Bell, 77, was charged last month with aiding and abetting the murder of McConville, while five others in addition to Adams have been questioned.
No comments:
Post a Comment