McCartneys question Sinn Féin's fitness to govern

The family of Robert McCartney today challenged Sinn Féin’s fitness for government following revelations that one of its election candidates was in Magennis’s bar on the night he was murdered.

Cora Groogan, who stood for the Stormont Assembly in November 2003, has admitted that she was in the city centre pub, which was the centre of a brawl which led to the father-of-two being stabbed to death.

However, she denied seeing anything inside the bar, including Mr McCartney’s friend Brendan Devine having his throat cut.

Catherine McCartney said the issue raised serious concerns about Sinn Féin’s attitude to democracy and justice.

“Ultimately this person could have been sitting as a government minister, overlooking policing and justice.

“Initially Sinn Féin’s first response was that she left the bar at 8.30pm. Then they came back with the statement that she left at 11pm and saw nothing. She said she would it leave it to people to analyse the statement and decide for themselves.

“This is an accountable political party. I think people are intelligent enough to figure out themselves whether this is the type of party they want running the country.”

Miss McCartney confirmed that she was considering running as an independent candidate in the South Belfast constituency in the Westminster election.

But she was unable to substantiate claims that three of her sisters would run in the other Belfast constituencies.

However, it is understood that elder sister Paula intends running in the Short Strand area of east Belfast in the local council poll.

Meanwhile, Ms Groogan is facing demands from the McCartney family and political opponents to make a fresh statement to police or Northern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman.

SDLP Deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell called on the Sinn Féin representative to co-operate fully with the police.

“It is plain useless for her to give a statement to a solicitor. She needs to go the people who are piecing together what happened on the night – the police and police ombudsman’s investigators.

“If she fails to do so, then she is failing the McCartney’s campaign for justice. Her failure to do so to date makes a mockery of Sinn Féin’s supposed support for the family.”

Ms Groogan, insisted she saw nothing inside the bar and confirmed she had given a full statement to her solicitor.

She said: “I got to the bar about 10pm that Sunday. I was there for a short while. There was a commotion in the bar but I witnessed nothing and left shortly after 11pm. I have given a full statement to my solicitor.”

Catherine McCartney said: “Sinn Féin says she has given a statement to a solicitor to pass on to the Police Ombudsman.

“However we believe she should give that statement directly to the police or the Police Ombudsman.”

Ms McCartney, who is planning to visit the United States next week with her sisters Paula, Gemma, Claire and Donna in a bid to highlight the case, said the intense political activity around their campaign was not being matched by information on the ground being given to detectives.

“We are adamant that people who know what happened should give that information,” she said.

Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said he didn’t care who was in the bar on the night of the killing as long as they helped the family’s bid for truth and justice.

“I don’t care who was in the bar that night. People have a duty to help the McCartney family achieve the truth and justice that they deserve.”