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Republican candidate is arrested | Republican candidate is arrested |
(about 14 hours later) | |
Independent republican candidate Gerry McGeough has been arrested over "serious terrorist crime". | Independent republican candidate Gerry McGeough has been arrested over "serious terrorist crime". |
Mr McGeough, 46, a candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, was arrested after leaving the count centre in Omagh on Thursday. | |
It is understood he is being questioned about the attempted murder of a UDR member in 1981. | It is understood he is being questioned about the attempted murder of a UDR member in 1981. |
The husband of a Sinn Fein councillor in Monaghan was arrested in Aughnacloy. Police said both arrests were linked. | |
The second man arrested was Vincie McAnespie, 44, whose brother Aiden was shot dead by the army in Aughnacloy in 1988. | |
His wife, Brenda McAnespie, said the arrest of her husband had traumatised her children. | |
"This is the sort of policing we need to stop," she said. | |
Police said both men were being questioned about serious terrorist crime dating back several years. | |
Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew called for Mr McGeough's release, describing the arrest as "political policing". | Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew called for Mr McGeough's release, describing the arrest as "political policing". |
The party's president Gerry Adams also said Mr McGeough should be set free. | The party's president Gerry Adams also said Mr McGeough should be set free. |
"He was campaigning openly and attended one of our meetings. He should be released," he said. | "He was campaigning openly and attended one of our meetings. He should be released," he said. |
Brenda McAnespie said the arrest traumatised her children. | |
However, the police have said they took a number of factors into consideration before making the arrest. | However, the police have said they took a number of factors into consideration before making the arrest. |
"Police became aware that this individual had re-entered the jurisdiction some time ago but it was not possible to effect an arrest immediately because of the complexity of the investigation and the need to recover and re-examine evidence dating back many years. | "Police became aware that this individual had re-entered the jurisdiction some time ago but it was not possible to effect an arrest immediately because of the complexity of the investigation and the need to recover and re-examine evidence dating back many years. |
"Police acted as soon as the required operational processes had been completed and the appropriate resources were in place. | "Police acted as soon as the required operational processes had been completed and the appropriate resources were in place. |
"The rationale for the arrest and its timing was based on the police obligation to investigate serious crime," a PSNI statement said. | "The rationale for the arrest and its timing was based on the police obligation to investigate serious crime," a PSNI statement said. |
Mr McGeough, who received 814 first preference votes on an anti-PSNI ticket, is being held at Antrim PSNI station. | |
It is believed he is being questioned about an incident in 1981 in which an off-duty UDR man was shot at while he was in a van. | It is believed he is being questioned about an incident in 1981 in which an off-duty UDR man was shot at while he was in a van. |
He was able to return fire with his personal protection weapon and injured one of his IRA attackers. | He was able to return fire with his personal protection weapon and injured one of his IRA attackers. |