Adams continues to deny role in McConville murder
On three separate occasions since the allegations emerged last Sunday, the republican leader has refuted the claims but refused to go into detail on the matter.
In a statement released by his party on Sunday, Mr Adams said he did not play any role in the murder, and took aim at the authors of the allegations, accusing them of “a long history of opposing the Sinn Féin peace strategy”.
He said he knew Brendan Hughes better than the authors of the book, and that the notorious Provisional IRA member “wasn’t well” at the time of the interviews with Boston College.
“I reject absolutely any accusation that I had any hand or part in the killing and disappearing of Jean McConville or in any of the other allegations that are being promoted by Ed Moloney,” Mr Adams said.
“The issue of the disappeared is a terrible legacy of the conflict. A grievous wrong has been done to these families,” he added.
Mr Adams was asked specifically about his alleged involvement again on Wednesday by the BBC and UTV. “My position on this is very, very clear,” he said. “I have said my piece and I am not going to feed this story.”
When asked by UTV reporter, Sharon O’Neill, “why don’t you just admit you were in the [Provisional] IRA?” he said: “I wasn’t. Don’t be smart.”
Mr Adams had told Ms McConville’s daughter, Helen McKendry, that he was in prison at the time of the murder of the mother-of-10 — a statement later proved false.
With pressure mounting for almost a week, Sinn Féin yesterday said it has been warned by the PSNI and Westminster of a “substantial” threat against Mr Adams’ life.
However, while the party was keen to discuss this issue, its director of public relations, Seán Brady, told the Irish Examiner that Mr Adams will be making no further comment on the. Jean McConville allegations.
