SF angered by top republican's money-laundering charges
Sinn Féin is to challenge Northern Chief Constable Hugh Orde over a decision to charge a top republican with money laundering.
Police allegedly found £20,000 (€29,500) in sterling and euro in a car owned by Brian Arthurs (aged 42), a court today heard in Dungannon, Co Tyrone where he also accused of fraudulently obtaining money.
During the hearing it was alleged by police the charges were part of a multi-million pound fraud investigation, but Arthurs’ solicitor and friends claimed it was linked to a discrepancy in a mortgage application form.
Arthurs, who is also from Dungannon was granted bail to appear at a later hearing.
His solicitor Peter Corrigan said the charges were an example of political policing at its worst. His client he said, had been pivotal in helping persuade members of the community in east Tyrone to support the police.
Now he was being prosecuted over his role in the Troubles and to settle old scores.
Outside the court, Francie Molloy, a Sinn Féin member at the Northern Assembly where he is also a deputy speaker, warned his party, which has three representatives on the new Policing Board, would be taking the matter up with Mr Orde.
The charges he claimed, had been driven by elements within the PSNI who were involved in a politically motivated anti-republican vendetta.
The PSNI had serious questions to answer around the operation over the past week and which he claimed was linked to a discrepancy in a mortgage application form. It followed two heavy-handed raids on Arthurs’ home, raids on the homes and businesses of other republicans and a heavy media briefing that all of this was to do with serious organised crime.
He added: “This entire operation, if not so serious for Brian and his young family, would be bordering on farce.
“The PSNI have very serious questions to answer regarding this entire matter and Hugh Orde and his colleagues can rest assured that Sinn Féin will be pursuing this matter relentlessly in the time ahead.
“Many local people are of the opinion that there are elements within the PSNI, and one individual in particular who was a member of the RUC Special Branch, who are involved in a politically driven vendetta against a number of republicans in the east Tyrone area.”
