Allister challenges Paisley over IRA's Zaitschek threat
10 July 2007
Following on from the revelation that the life of Crown witness, Mrs Zaitschek is under continuing threat from the IRA, Jim Allister MEP has written to the First Minister enclosing his correspondence with the PSNI and challenging Dr Paisley to deliver on his promise that if IRA/Sinn Fein defaulted on its supposed pledges to support the rule of law, then effective action would follow.
The text of Mr Allister's letter is as follows:-
Rt Hon Dr Ian Paisley MP MLA,
First Minister,
Stormont Castle,
Belfast
9 July 2007
Dear First Minister,
I enclose copy correspondence with the PSNI for your consideration and action.
It is clear from this correspondence that the IRA, with which your partner in government, Sinn Fein, remains inextricably linked, is still and contemporaneously involved in threatening the life of a court witness. It is also clear that the PSNI take this threat very seriously. Patently, such an active threat from the IRA is incompatible both with support for the rule of law and with its professed public assurances and those of its Party. It is clear that when it serves its purposes the IRA is still very much in the business of threatening life and, as here, would take life if given the opportunity.
Given your solemn assurance that Sinn Fein/IRA had signed up to support of the rule of law and that any default would be met by effective action, I write to enquire as to what you intend to do about this unacceptable situation.
Yours sincerely,
James H Allister QC MEP
