Timing of Gerry Adams’s arrest ‘politically motivated’ during election campaign

THE TIMING of the arrest of Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD by the PSNI investigating the abduction and killing of Jean McConville in Belfast in 1972 is politically motivated and designed to damage Sinn Féin’s all-Ireland election campaign, Mary Lou McDonald says.

Gerry Adams, the former MP for West Belfast, presented himself voluntarily to the PSNI in Antrim on Wednesday evening and he was subsequently arrested for questioning.

Elections take place North and South in three weeks. Gerry Adams’s arrest comes days after opinion polls showed a huge surge of support for Sinn Féin across Ireland and Gerry Adams as the most popular party leader amongst the public.

Speaking before travelling from the Dáil via his constituency office in Dundalk on Wednesday evening, Louth TD Gerry Adams said:

“Last month I said that I was available to meet the PSNI about the Jean McConville case. While I have concerns about the timing, I am voluntarily meeting with the PSNI this evening.

“As a republican leader I have never shirked my responsibility to build the peace. This includes dealing with the difficult issue of victims and their families.

“Insofar as it is possible, I have worked to bring closure to victims and their families who have contacted me. Even though they may not agree, this includes the family of Jean McConville.

“I believe that the killing of Jean McConville and the secret burial of her body was wrong and a grievous injustice to her and her family.

“Well-publicised, malicious allegations have been made against me. I reject these.

“While I have never disassociated myself from the IRA and I never will, I am innocent of any part in the abduction, killing or burial of Mrs McConville.

“Sinn Féin has signed up to the Haass proposals for dealing with the past. While I also respect the right of families if they wish to seek legal redress, there remains a huge onus on the two governments and the political parties to face up to all these issues and to agree a victim-centred process which does this.”

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald reiterated that Gerry Adams said last month that he was available to meet the PSNI about the Jean McConville case and he has always denied allegations by openly hostile critics of the Peace Process and Sinn Féin.

“Gerry Adams is right to confront this issue,” Mary Lou McDonald said. “There has been a concerted and malicious effort to link Gerry Adams to this case for some considerable time.

“He has consistently and forthrightly rejected any suggestion that he had any part in what happened to Jean McConville 42 years ago or that he has any information about these dreadful events.

“I believe the timing of this latest decision by the PSNI is politically motivated and designed to damage Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein.

“It is Sinn Féin's view that legacy issues and dealing with the past, including past conflict events, are best addressed through an independent, international, truth recovery process.

“In the absence of that, we have agreed to and are seeking the implementation of the Haass compromise proposals. These include the right of families to choose whether to pursue legal action or to seek maximum truth recovery.”