Row over IRA criminality rumbles on

The rift between members of Northern Ireland’s Policing Board and a Government minister remained open tonight as they continued to challenge his assessment of the IRA’s involvement in criminality.

The rift between members of Northern Ireland’s Policing Board and a British government minister remained open tonight as they continued to challenge his assessment of the IRA’s involvement in criminality.

Northern Ireland Office Security Minister Shaun Woodward last night questioned claims that he had been contradicted during a confidential briefing with the board on IRA and other paramilitary groups’ involvement in criminal activity.

The minister claimed his views had been grossly misrepresented through a leak from the meeting.

However in a letter sent to Mr Woodward tonight, Policing Board chairman Sir Desmond Rea said it was the view of his colleagues that there was a dichotomy in the views expressed by Mr Woodward and Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid at that briefing.

It had been claimed Mr Woodward had said that the IRA was not involved in criminality since last July’s statement declaring an end to its armed campaign but that had been contradicted at a briefing for the board by ACC Kinkaid.

Mr Woodward wrote in a letter to the board chairman: “Let me be clear there is no dichotomy between myself as chair of the organised crime task force and the PSNI.

“As I said yesterday, my comments of December 13 have been caricatured by taking them out of context.

“There is clearly a distinction to be made between the activity of individuals and the intention of organisations.

“The point I have been making is that (British) government believes that the Provisional leadership intends to take the organisation in a different direction.

“I am clear, as are the PSNI, that there have been significant changes in Provisional IRA activity, including in the area of criminality, since July.

“But there are complex assessments to be made in distinguishing between criminality by individual PIRA members for their own gain and criminality carried out by PIRA members which is authorised by the organisation. It is the job of the Independent Monitoring Commission to comment on these difficult issues.”

Mr Woodward’s letter also expressed considerable concern that the briefing which he had attended along with ACC Kinkaid had been breached.

In his reply tonight Sir Desmond said while he shared the minister’s concerns about the leak from Tuesday’s meeting, the board did not believe any member or official working for it was involved.

The Policing Board chairman continued: “In respect of the substantive issue of the board’s concerns about the dichotomy of views expressed at the confidential briefing to the board on January 17, members remain clear in their view that a dichotomy was evident.

“The explanation that you have provided in your letter does not fully address their concerns.

“From the briefing the board acknowledges that, in certain areas, progress has and is being made.

“But on the issues of organised crime the board is clear that PSNI and the other agencies advised that all paramilitary groups were still involved in organised crime.

“This is clearly at odds with your position as stated during the briefing and in your earlier statement of December 13, 2005.”

The Policing Board’s response to Mr Woodward’s letter was drafted after a meeting of its Corporate Policy Committee.

Members decided, following the publication of the minister’s letter, to put its response and the original letter it had sent out in the public domain.