LEADING republican Bobby Storey is among three men arrested in the North of Ireland today in connection with the murder of Kevin McGuigan.
Mr Storey, along with Eddie Copeland and Brian Gillen – themselves well-known republicans – were arrested in Belfast this morning by PSNI officers.
Kevin McGuigan was shot dead at point blank range outside his home in Belfast last month.
His murder prompted a discussion on the continued existence of the Provisional IRA – and has led to the current political fallout in Stormont.
Mr Storey, a former IRA prisoner who was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, is the northern chairman for Sinn Féin.
It was claimed by Ulster Unionist Party MP David Burnside in 2005, when the IRA officially disbanded, that Mr Storey was the head of intelligence for the republican organisation.
Mr Storey was one of the IRA prisoners who escaped from the Maze Prison in Antrim in 1983 – one of the biggest prison escapes in British and Irish history.
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness expressed his "surprise" at the news.
"I was surprised to learn about the arrest this morning of our six-county party chair Bobby Storey," he said.
"Bobby Storey is a valued member of Sinn Féin's core leadership.
"He has played a leading role in the development of Sinn Féin’s peace strategy and is a long-standing and loyal supporter, defender and advocate of the peace and political processes.
"We look forward with confidence to his early release."
While Mr Hamilton said the PSNI believe that the IRA does not exist "for paramilitary purposes", he noted: "Some current Provisional IRA and former members continue to engage in a range of criminal activity and occasional violence in the interest of personal gain or personal agendas."
In total, 16 people have been arrested in connection with Mr McGuigan’s murder to date – with one charged and the remaining 15 released unconditionally.
The political crisis sparked by the killing continues as fresh talks got underway yesterday.
