Criticism Over Sinn Fein 'Double Standards'

The Irish republican party, Sinn Fein has angered other Northern Ireland politicians after they described a PSNI operation - which resulted in five arrests by officers investigating the terrorist murder of Constable Kerr - as "heavy handed and reminiscent of the bad old days".

The criticism came after 200 NI police officers carried out a series of raids across counties Down, Londonderry and Antrim, as part of investigations into the killing.

The DUP's Lord Maurice Morrow has now accused Sinn Fein of "double standards" and said republicans were sending out mixed messages on their support of policing.

As a result, five men - aged 22, 27, 33, 37 and 46 - were arrested under the Terrorism Act.

However, all five have now been released while a 23-year-old woman arrested yesterday in connection with the murder of the Catholic police officer remains in custody.

Seven properties were searched in areas including Coalisland, Toome, Bellaghy, and Ballyronan.

On Wednesday night four men were released by detectives investigating the murder - a fifth man who was detained in Coalisland was freed earlier, on Wednesday afternoon.

Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster Martin McGuinness said he knows the family of the young man who was "arrested yesterday in a blaze of publicity" in Coalisland and later released.

"I have been in contact with the PSNI at the top level to register my dissatisfaction and annoyance at the operation in Coalisland," the Stormont deputy First Minister said.

"The nature of the operation has caused widespread anger in the local community. That is a reality the PSNI will now have to face.

"People are in no doubt where I stand in relation to the killers of Ronan Kerr. I believe that the PSNI have a duty to properly investigate this murder. However the arrest and release of this young man raises very serious questions about the quality of the current PSNI investigation."

He concluded: "Bad policing operations in republican communities will do nothing to bring his killers to justice. Indeed if anything the opposite is the case."

Adding his voice, the Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has also said he is disappointed at the comments made by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness regarding aspects of the police operation into the murder of Constable Ronan Kerr.

"I am disappointed at the comments made by Martin McGuinness. The Deputy First Minister is entitled to an opinion; however, I had hoped that he would take a more constructive approach and not publicly criticised particular aspects of a police operation.

"The police have a difficult task in tackling terrorism and they require the full support of all public representatives. Any concerns that anyone might have should be raised through the appropriate structures and not through the media," he said.

Also underlining the various avenues that politicians can use to raise issues about policing, the DUP's lead NI Policing Board member and East Belfast MLA Robin Newton said: "The pursuit of his killers must be relentless and thorough until those responsible are put before the courts.

"This means the PSNI must actively follow all lines of enquiry. It is the nature of all investigations that some lines of enquiry may prove to be mistaken but that cannot be established until they are fully investigated," he continued, noting, there are multiple means of holding the police to account - the District Policing Partnerships, the Policing Board and the Police Ombudsman's Office.

"A politician should utilise those means rather than knee-jerk public comment that needlessly undermines public confidence in this crucial investigation.

"The remarks by the Deputy First Minister are not helpful to the police investigation. In the past, I have been critical of how the police have carried out their work but on such a sensitive investigation we must be cautious not to make premature comments," he concluded.

Also today, the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said the investigation was complex and would take considerable time to complete.

"The Policing Board is the appropriate place for scrutiny to take place, particularly during a live and sensitive investigation. For that reason, the PSNI will not be commenting further," he said.

(BMcC/GK)