Police chief 'must end speculation on bank raid suspects'
Chief Constable Hugh Orde was urged tonight to say who he thinks was behind the £22m (€31m) Northern Bank raid in Belfast.
With the IRA top of the list of suspects, Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson called on Northern Ireland’s most senior policeman to reply to speculation that republicans were involved.
“It is time for the Chief Constable to come clean and tell us what he knows about republican involvement in the Northern Bank raid,” the East Belfast MP said.
“As speculation continues to mount about the role of the Provisional IRA in the biggest bank robbery ever, Hugh Orde must now tell us about the connections of any and all believed to be involved.
“Is it the political consequences that have silenced the Chief Constable?
“Let no one be in any doubt, the consequences of mainstream republican participation in this colossal crime will be far reaching.
“The IRA could not have carried out a crime of the magnitude of the Northern Bank robbery without the sanction of its so-called Army Council.
“Everyone knows that the Army Council contains within its ranks senior members of Sinn Féin.
“The planning and preparation of the heist would have coincided with the participation of some of those individuals in a talks process that was aimed at ending such activity for good.
“Such downright duplicity would not only call into question the commitment of republicans to the talks process but could not be ignored by the (British) government.”
Two weeks have passed since the raid on the Northern Bank’s headquarters in Belfast.
Mr Orde is due to brief the chairman and vice chairman of Northern Ireland’s Policing Board, Professor Desmond Rea and Denis Bradley this week on the December 20 break-in.
He is also expected to make his first public comment on the robbery for which no one has as yet been arrested.
The homes of a number of republicans were searched before Christmas Day by police.
A republican source has denied IRA involvement.
But unionists are anxious to hear from the Chief Constable and would regard it as a blow to Sinn Fein’s talks credentials if the IRA is confirmed as the gang behind the heist.
Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell is due to raise the break-in with a question in the House of Commons next week.
Mr Robinson said tonight that if the Provisionals were found guilty, it would also vindicate his party’s pre-Christmas demand for clarity and certainty over IRA weapons decommissioning.
“We require complete, verifiable and transparent decommissioning and an end to all of the IRA’s illegal activity,” he said.
“The Ulster Unionists were never prepared to seriously put the IRA to the test on decommissioning, never mind the IRA’s criminal exploits.
“Until republicans build trust in the community by totally decommissioning in a way that inspires confidence and by ending all of its illegal activities then there can be no place in the democratic process for Sinn Féin.
“Both the British and Irish Governments must encourage all of the constitutional parties to move forward and leave behind those who appear incapable of committing themselves to exclusively peaceful means.”
