07/01/2005

Orde declares IRA behind Northern Bank heist

PSNI Chief Constable, Hugh Orde has said that in his opinion the IRA was behind last month's multi-million robbery at the headquarters of the Northern Bank in Belfast.

Mr Orde made his observation during a meeting with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Policing Board on Friday.

Speaking at news conference in Belfast following the meeting, Mr Orde said: "On the basis of the investigative work we have done to date, evidence we have collected and exhibits we have collected and bringing that all together and working through it, in my opinion the Provisional IRA were responsible for this crime and all main lines of inquiry currently undertaken are in that direction".

Responding to Mr Orde's comments Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness said they were nothing more than "politically biased allegations".

"He has not produced one scrap of evidence," the Mid-Ulster MP said. "Within days of the robbery at the Northern Bank, and following media speculation and PSNI briefings, which suggested IRA involvement, I asked the IRA about this and was assured that they were not involved."

Mr McGuinness added: "We are witnessing a renewed attempt to undermine the peace process. We need to think long and hard about who is setting this agenda and why. This is more to do with halting the process of change which Sinn Féin has been driving forward than with anything that happened at the Northern Bank".

Meanwhile, the Northern Bank has confirmed it is to withdraw all of its paper note currency estimated to to have a face value of around £300 million.

The move, which will cost the bank £5 million, will see all existing £10, £20, £50 and £100 notes replaced, however the bank's polymer £5 notes will not be affected.

The bank said it had reassessed the amount stolen from its head office on 20 December as £26.5 million.

(MB/SP)

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