Freezing of assets of an IRA/Sinn Fein leader should be a wake up call for every Unionist - Allister
10 November 2009
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister QC:-
“Today’s freezing of the assets of prominent republican Sean Gerard Hughes and the denunciation by Stormont Minister, Murphy, of the related police operation earlier in the week, is a timely reminder of why policing and justice powers should never be devolved to an Executive in which IRA/Sinn Fein holds sway and the power of veto.
Murphy on behalf of Sinn Fein, with his declaration, "There is no justification for the deliberate targeting of Sean ..” showed on whose side he is when it comes to law enforcement and pursuit of ill-gotten gains. Hughes is a man personally known to every Sinn Fein Minister in Stormont. His central role in IRA/Sinn Fein was illustrated by him being nominated to give the oration at last year’s funeral of top IRA leader, Brian Keenan. Make no mistake Hughes is a man as close to the heart of IRA/Sinn Fein as it is possible to get. Hence, today’s events should strike at the very heart of Sinn Fein’s involvement in government, and would do so in any credible democracy.
“Peter Robinson by his parliamentary contributions has demonstrated he knows all about Hughes, yet, today, he sits in the Assembly jointly piloting through with McGuinness the Justice Bill which will gift to Hughes’ associates in government veto powers over the vital matters of policing and justice.
“Today’s events should be a wake up call to those Unionists who are sleepwalking into empowering IRA/Sinn Fein on policing and justice. Just imagine the travesties when IRA/Sinn Fein gets veto powers on every cross-cutting justice issue, including the funding necessary to adequately fight crime and money laundering.”
