John Downey
SINN Fein insisted today that unionists knew of a deal for 187 republican suspects which allowed a Donegal-based County Clare man to walk free from court.
John Downey, 62, from Creeslough, had a murder case against him withdrawn in London.
He had been accused of killing four British soldiers in the London Hyde Park bombing in 1982.
Today unionists claimed they knew nothing about it.
DUP leaders including Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds and Gregory Campbell all threatened to collapse the North’s government.
Sinn Féin MLA and former IRA leader Gerry Kelly said the letters guaranteeing no prosecution to On The Runs’ were a pragmatic move and the agreement should not be rescinded.
“This was something which needed to be sorted out. A public commitment and, I repeat, a public and a political commitment was given to resolve that and this was one of the ways of resolving that,” he said.
“They should stick to that, they should not try and unpick despite what the electioneering unionists are at now. They should not try and unpick what has been agreed.”
Mr Kelly said he believed the most recent recipient of one of the letters had received it in late 2012.
Peter Robinson however called for all letters sent out to be rescinded and “full disclosure” of what had happened.
“I am not prepared to be kept in the dark by Her Majesty’s government about matters relevant to Northern Ireland,” he told the BBC in Belfast.
“I want a full judicial inquiry to find out who knew, when they knew and what they knew. I want to know who they are and what crimes they are believed to have committed.”
He said he felt deceived by the government, and if he and former DUP leader Ian Paisley had known about this, they would not have entered into power-sharing government with Sinn Féin in 2007.
“I am not prepared to be a stooge for Westminster who keep secrets on matters which are now devolved to Northern Ireland,” he said
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