PSNI chief ‘believes IRA still exists’

The PSNI has linked Provisional IRA members to the shooting dead of Mr McGuigan on August 12th in what is believed to have been retaliation for the murder of Gerard “Jock” Davison in May.

“Nevertheless, we assess that in common with the majority of Northern Ireland paramilitary groups from the period of the conflict, some of the PIRA structure from the 1990s remains broadly in place, although its goal has radically changed since this period”, he said.

He met Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable George Hamilton on Saturday.

“Some republicans who previously refused to condemn the IRA may think the circumstances no longer justify murder, but some colleagues clearly disagree”. However, if the main IRA was proved to be still operational, the current power-sharing government between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland could collapse.

“There could be no question of devolution continuing”, said Mr Campbell, after Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes, who is in overall charge of the investigation into the Short Strand man’s murder was carried out by an alliance of criminals, dissident republicans and former Provos styling itself Action Against Drugs (AAD).

Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson has indicated he will hold talks with other executive parties about a potential Sinn Fein exclusion from the mandatory five-party coalition administration.

The shooting of Mr McGuigan and the subsequent comments by Mr Hamilton linking the killing to the Provisional IRA have caused a political storm in the province and prompted Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers to describe the situation as “serious”.

Sinn Fein has vehemently denied the IRA was involved in the killing.

“Our assessment indicates that a primary focus of the provisional IRA is now promoting a peaceful, political agenda”.

“I accept the bona fides of the Sinn Fein leadership regarding their rejection of violence and pursuit of the peace process and I accept their assurance that they want to support police in bringing those responsible to justice”.

He said: “We have no information to suggest that violence, as seen in the murder of Kevin McGuigan, was sanctioned or directed at a senior level in the republican movement”.

Mr Nesbitt said: “The Chief Constable repeated the police assessment that members of the IRA took part in Wednesday’s murder and that the IRA still exists, although what form it takes in 2015 is not fully clear”.

“The so-called group, Action against Drugs, is a criminal gang”.