Gerry Adams has insisted he was not involved in the murder of Jean McConville, following his release from police custody this evening.
A file is to be sent to the Public Prosecution Service.
Loyalist protesters attempted to block his exit from the station, but Mr Adams left by a back gate.
The Sinn Féin President and Louth TD was questioned for four days by police in Co Antrim investigating the IRA abduction and murder of Ms McConville in 1972.
Speaking at a press conference following his release, Mr Adams said he was innocent of any involvement in the murder of Mrs McConville.
He also said his arrest could have been handled differently.
“They did not have to do this in the middle of an election campaign,” he said.
In a statement this evening Northern Ireland Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGroy said he will not take a decision on the files in relation to Gerry Adams, but this decision will be passed to his deputy.
This development was expected in light of the fact that Mr McRory has acted as solicitor to Mr Adams in the past.
Extra time granted to police to question Mr Adams was due to expire at 8pm tonight.
Earlier, Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness reiterated his belief that the arrest of Mr Adams was politically motivated.
However, Northern Ireland's Justice Minister and Alliance Party leader David Ford rejected Mr McGuinness' claims of political policing.
DUP leader and Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson earlier accused Sinn Féin of attempting "bullyboy tactics" over the PSNI in relation to the detention of Mr Adams.
He was arrested when he presented by prior appointment at Antrim Police Station on Wednesday evening.
Policing, political and judicial structures have been under scrutiny since Mr Adams' detention.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Sinn Féin's Mr McGuinness said there are people within the PSNI who are against the peace process and are anti-Sinn Féin.
However, he said Sinn Féin is committed and totally supportive of policing on both sides of the border.
"When I talked about reviewing our position in relation to policing, it was in the context of how we deal with this cabal within policing.
"We are absolutely and totally supportive of the police services North and South of this border."
He said there is a huge unease, including in the United States government, about the manner and timing of Mr Adams' arrest.
Mr McGuinness also said he did not know the names of those who killed Mrs McConville; he said if her family knows they should give those names to the police.
On the same programme, Mr Ford said he had seen no sign of dark forces or an old guard within the PSNI trying to drag people back.
He called on all politicians to take a step back after Mr Robinson accused Sinn Féin of attempting "bullyboy tactics".
In a statement today, Mr Robinson said Sinn Féin is guilty of a despicable, thuggish attempt to blackmail the PSNI by indicating the party would reassess its attitude to policing if Mr Adams is charged.
He said his partner in government, Mr McGuinness, is inconsistent and claimed he is incapable of supporting the PSNI when it comes to the investigation of Mr Adams.
Mr Robinson said ordinary decent citizens will conclude the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service have succumbed to a crude overt political threat if Mr Adams is not charged.
The republican party earlier this week said it would review its support for the police if Mr Adams is charged.
Sinn Féin's decision to sign up to support the police in 2007 was viewed as a major milestone in the peace process.
It prompted the return to devolved rule at Stormont, with the republican party and the Democratic Unionists entering government together.
Mr Robinson, Mr Ford and Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers have defended the police's handling of the arrest.
They denied the action was designed to undermine Sinn Féin ahead of the forthcoming European Elections.
Mrs McConville was dragged away from her children in the Divis flats in west Belfast by a gang of up to 12 men and women after being wrongly accused of informing to the security forces.
She was interrogated, shot in the back of the head and then secretly buried - becoming one of the "Disappeared" victims of the Troubles.
Her body was found on a beach in Co Louth years later, in 2003, 80km from her home.
No comments:
Post a Comment