Ahern 'won't apologise to Sinn Féin'

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has no intention of apologising to Sinn Féin "under any circumstances" for contending its leadership had prior knowledge of the Northern Bank raid, Justice Minister McDowell said yesterday.

As detectives revealed they have up to 1,000 lines of inquiry in their investigations, the Justice Minister robustly rejected the IRA's latest denial of having any involvement in the December 20 robbery.

Mr Michael McDowell was responding to furious criticisms of the Taoiseach by Gerry Adams yesterday, during which the Sinn Féin leader called on Mr Ahern to withdraw his "offensive" accusations.

Mr McDowell said: "The announcement of P O'Neill on the non-involvement of the IRA in the Northern Bank incident cuts no ice with me at all."

He said that next week's meeting with Sinn Féin was not to reopen negotiations but to "get over to them the gravity of what they have done to the peace process".

Earlier Mr Adams, in another outspoken attack on the Taoiseach, said Mr Ahern's public announcement that the Sinn Féin leadership knew about the raid beforehand had inflicted "profound damage on the political process".

"What the Taoiseach has accused me and Martin McGuinness of doing is being involved in a conspiracy, to be involved in the prior knowledge of the largest bank robbery in the history of these islands. That is what he has accused us of being involved in and I find that highly offensive."

The Taoiseach, who is continuing his visit to China, said he did not wish to comment further.

His official spokesperson said: "He has told Sinn Féin he will meet them, and he will do that on Tuesday."

A meeting scheduled for tomorrow between Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern and Sinn Féin was cancelled yesterday following the death of Mr Ahern's brother-in-law.

Speaking in Belfast yesterday, Mr Adams said he would ask the Taoiseach to explain why he made the claims that Sinn Féin leaders knew that the IRA were planning the €32 million robbery in Belfast.

Detectives last night said they are not prepared to make any rash arrests despite establishing an extensive line of inquiry. Detectives also released new CCTV footage showing one of two bank employees carrying cash out of the Northern Bank's headquarters on the night of the heist.

Meanwhile, the House of Commons was told yesterday that the cost of running what has been described as the phantom Stormont Assembly since its suspension in October 2002 stood at £53.5m (€76.7m) at the end of last year.

Ulster Unionist MP Sylvia Hermon said there was no moral justification for spending £2m per month on the Assembly.