Paisley anger over terror list

Members of the IRA can escape criminal charges against them because it is not a specified paramilitary organisation, it was claimed today.

After a meeting with Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde to discuss concerns about Provisional activity, Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley said no charge could be brought against an IRA member because the organisation was not listed in the 2000 Prisons Schedule.

The North Antrim MP said outside Police Service of Northern Ireland headquarters in east Belfast: “What we tried to do today was confirm what was already stated by the Secretary of State (Paul Murphy) and what was stated by the Chief Constable (about IRA involvement in an attempted kidnapping in Belfast last week).

“We got our confirmation but the situation has now taken a very serious turn of events.

“Under legislation that (Ulster Unionist leader) David Trimble and others agreed to, the Provisional IRA has been taken off the list and a person cannot be charged with membership of that organisation.”

Talks to restore devolution in Northern Ireland have been shaken by allegations last week that an IRA gang tried to abduct dissident republican Bobby Tohill from a Belfast city centre bar.

Four men appeared in court charged with falsely imprisoning Mr Tohill and of having items that would be of use to terrorists after a police gang intercepted a van containing the victim.

However, despite public claims last Saturday by PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde that the IRA was responsible, a charge of membership of the organisation was dropped.

After their meeting today, the DUP said the reason for this was that the Provisional IRA was not listed on the 2000 Prisons Schedule of specified terrorist groups.

“We have a situation where the UDA is still a specified organisation,” DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson said.

“On the other hand, we have the IRA, who claim they are in ceasefire, not listed as a specified organisation. We will take steps to ensure that they are added to the list.”

The DUP accused the British and Irish governments of trying to delay action against Sinn Féin in the wake of last Friday’s incident.

They accused the British government of hiding behind the four-member Independent Monitoring Commission, which was set up last year to monitor paramilitary ceasefires and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

On Tuesday, Mr Murphy and Foreign Minister Brian Cowen announced that they had asked the IMC to bring forward its first report to May instead of July following last Friday night’s incident.

However, unionists have said this is not good enough and Mr Trimble has warned that he will lead his party out of the review of the Good Friday Agreement next week.

Democratic Unionist Policing Board member Ian Paisley Jr said the British government had used the IMC quite successfully to avoid taking immediate action against republicans.

“They are hiding behind the IMC,” he said.

“The (British) government has a moral responsibility to act now instead of running scared.

“Obviously, they are not sick enough of Sinn Féin/IRA and what is happening on the streets of Northern Ireland but the people of Northern Ireland are sick enough.”

Mr Paisley Snr said it was “an absolute disgrace” that no IRA member would face charges in court because of a technicality.