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Kevin McGuigan murder: Sinn Féin's Bobby Storey says IRA is 'not coming back' Kevin McGuigan murder: Sinn Féin's Bobby Storey says IRA is 'not coming back'
(35 minutes later)
A senior Sinn Féin member arrested last week over a murder linked to IRA members has said the organisation has "gone away" and is "not coming back". A senior Sinn Féin member arrested last week over a murder linked to IRA members has said the organisation has "gone" and is "not coming back".
Bobby Storey was one of three leading republicans questioned and then released without charge over the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr.Bobby Storey was one of three leading republicans questioned and then released without charge over the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr.
Their detention intensified a political crisis in Northern Ireland. And Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness said he was concerned that "state agents" had a role in the killing.
First Minister Peter Robinson quit the ruling executive along with three other Democratic Unionist Party ministers. Mr Storey's arrest intensified a political crisis in Northern Ireland.
Mr McGuigan Sr's murder caused a political row after Northern Ireland's police chief said members of the IRA had a role in the murder, and that the organisation still existed. On Thursday, First Minister Peter Robinson quit the ruling executive along with three other Democratic Unionist Party ministers.
He said the organisation was still in existence and added that it was committed to politics and is not engaged in terrorism. Butterfly
Mr Storey, Sinn Féin's northern chairman, was speaking in west Belfast alongside senior party colleagues including Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. Mr McGuigan Sr's murder caused a political row after Northern Ireland's police chief said members of the IRA had been involved.
He said the IRA "has gone, stood down", had put its "arms beyond use" and was "not coming back". Last month, Chief Constable George Hamilton said the organisation was still in existence and added that it was committed to politics and is not engaged in terrorism.
He said unionists viewed the IRA as a "caterpillar" that is still in existence, but that it is "now a butterfly which has flown away". But Mr Storey, Sinn Féin's northern chairman, compared the IRA to a caterpillar that had "become a butterfly" and had "flew away".
"Not a shred" of evidence or intelligence was presented to him that would justify his arrest over the murder of Mr McGuigan last month, he said. "The IRA has gone. The IRA has stood down, they have put their arms beyond use," Mr Storey said.
Those involved in the killing are criminals and enemies of peace, he added. "They have left the stage, they are away and they're not coming back."
Enemies
He said the Police Service of Northern Ireland has "no basis" for arresting him in connection with the murder last month of Mr McGuigan Sr.
"At no time during my detention did the police present a shred of evidence or intelligence, which, in either my opinion or the opinion of my solicitor, warranted my arrest," he said.
"We have a lot of questions and we will go to the chief constable for answers."
Those involved in the killing are "criminals and enemies of peace", he added.
Mr Martin McGuinness said he feared that elements opposed to the peace were involved in Mr McGuigan Sr's murder, and the killing in May of former IRA commander Gerard 'Jock' Davison.
Breakdown
The murders had caused "huge problems" for Northern Ireland's political institutions, the deputy first minister added.
"I think serious questions have to be asked about whose agenda was served by those murders, particularly as we all know that the prospect that agents were involved - people who are hostile to the peace process, who are hostile to Sinn Féin's involvement in the political institutions."
Last month, the Ulster Unionist Party had said Sinn Féin's denial in the wake of Mr McGuigan Sr's murder that the IRA existed had caused a breakdown in trust and it left the executive.
On Thursday, the DUP then resigned its ministerial posts after the party failed to secure enough support for an adjournment of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Mr Storey said unionists had used what he called his "wrongful detention" to threaten the devolved institutions.
A fresh round of all-party talks is due to being on Monday.