Orde welcomes IRA statement on McCartney murder

PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde has welcomed the IRA decision to urge anyone with information about the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney to come forward.

However, Mr Orde said he was unimpressed with the IRA's decision to expel three of its members in connection with the murder, saying he wanted those responsible to be prosecuted in the courts.

Meanwhile, he also said he was confident that people would eventually be prosecuted in relation to the £26.5m (€38m) bank heist in Belfast on December 20.

Mr Orde added that there were indications that some of the money seized during a garda crackdown on alleged IRA money-laundering may have come from the Belfast robbery, but there was no evidence yet to prove a definitive link.