McGimpsey claims Sinn Fein have a case to answer

Senior Ulster Unionist, Michael McGimpsey, has questioned Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams’ appeal for Unionists to engage in dialogue with Republicans.

In an exclusive article printed in the Wednesday’s Newsletter Mr Adams called on unionists to enter into a dialogue on “equality and justice” and appealed that “no more preconditions” should stand in the way of progress on the Good Friday Agreement.

However, in a statement Mr McGimpsey, the Assembly member for South Belfast, said: “On the day when Gerry Adams appeals to unionism for dialogue on equality and justice, he demands the release of the three men detained in Colombia for alleged collaboration with the terrorist organisation, FARC.

“Gerry Adams states that Sinn Fein has no case to answer on Colombia. He is simply saying this because he has no answer. The reality is that republicans have been caught red-handed in Colombia. Excuses and evasions are wholly inadequate.

“We have absolutely no doubt that they were three very senior republicans. We believe that they were about their organisation’s business.”

Mr McGimpsey also claimed that republicans had a case to answer, he added: “Gerry Adams must come clean on the IRA ceasefire. You cannot talk peace and prepare for war”. He concluded that if Sinn Fein had no case to answer on Colombian incident, Mr Adams would not have called for the release of the three men detained in Colombia.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Mr Adams, who is planning a trip to South America, has said that none of the men were representing Sinn Fein.

Writing in an American newspaper Mr Adams said that as he would have had to authorise any representation of Sinn Fein he could say with certainty that the men were not representing his party. (SP)