8th November 2002

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McQuillan being disingenuous

Sinn Fein Assembly member for North Belfast Gerry Kelly has said that PSNI Chief Alan McQuillan was being `disingenuous' in his remarks concerning attempts to recruit a 13-year-old special needs child as an informer.

Mr Kelly said:

``The PSNI have attempted to recruit a 13-year-old child with special needs as an informer. This action represents a new low in ongoing PSNI intelliegence gathering. It is the second attempt to recuit an informer in North Belfast in recent times.

``When questioned Alan McQuillan was unable to definitively say whether this happened or not. This is disingenuous to say the least. He is either in charge of policing in Belfast or he is not. People will draw their own conclusions to the fact that he could not give a definitive answer when questioned.

``This incident shows clearly that Special Branch considerations are still the primary requirement across all of the policing structures. In the week of the publication of the Cromton Review, this along with other recent events shows us that the corrosive influence of Special Branch is still working to its own political, military and anti-peace process agenda.''

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