Ford says IMC leaves questions on Quinn murder

2.04.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 1st May 2008

Alliance Leader David Ford has stated that the IMC report has left significant questions unanswered, as people question IRA involvement in the cover up of the murder of Paul Quinn.

David Ford said: "The IMC report has left some very important questions unanswered. It confirms that those involved may have been current or previous IRA members. Even the dogs on the street assumed this and the confirmation is pertinent.

"The report refers to those who 'expect respect' and seek to enforce their will on the local community. In a peaceful, transformed society there can be no place for this type of activity in South Armagh or any other part of the island.

"I believe that people's fears will not have been allayed by this report. In particular, many will continue to believe that there was IRA involvement in covering up the murder. The fact that the local MP has publicly blackened the name of Paul Quinn raises doubts about the condemnation of the murder by leading Sinn Fein figures.

"People will also ask do Sinn Fein's actions match their rhetoric? Publicly they called for people to co-operate with police, but many believe they have not done all they could on this issue.

"The slur on Paul Quinn's character from Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy must be retracted immediately and local republicans must do all they can to co-operate with the Garda and PSNI."

ENDS