Sinn Féin accuses police chief over bank robbery

He also claimed there was a concerted attempt to undermine the peace process.

“Hugh Orde’s comments today are nothing more than politically-biased allegations,” Mr McGuinness said.

“He has not produced one scrap of evidence. 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.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley is due to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair next week to discuss the political fallout from the Chief Constable's statement.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has called on Mr Blair to exclude Sinn Féin from the Assembly. Ulster Unionist MP David Burnside today went further calling for the interrogation of Sinn Féin leaders.

“Its all very well attributing blame to the Provisional IRA but if investigating detectives do not bring in every member of the IRA Army Council including the Sinn Féin leadership for interrogation, then the PSNI will not be carrying out its investigating role as a professional police service,” the South Antrim MP said.

“It is imperative the Chief Constable Hugh Orde answers these questions and if the response to both are negative, then IRA/Sinn Féin leaders are getting away with criminal activities to maintain a failed political process.

“Ordinary citizens if suspected of crimes would not get away with what Sinn Fein get away with every day of the week in Northern Ireland.”

Mr McGuinness insisted Sinn Féin would resist any attempt to marginalise, criminalise the party.

“We have told both the British and Irish Governments that Sinn Féin will not countenance any attempt by the DUP, or by the governments or by anyone else, to demonise this party,” the former Stormont Education Minister said.

“The campaigns to smash Sinn Féin, to criminalise and marginalise the republican struggle all failed.

“Sinn Féin represents the majority of nationalists in the north (of Ireland). The securocrats and the DUP need to come to terms with this political reality.

“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.

“Sinn Féin has a substantial electoral mandate achieved at the ballot box.”

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said the raid had dealt a real blow to the Agreement and to the peace process.

“It has damaged trust,” the Foyle Assembly member said. “It has made it much harder to win change.

“The SDLP has consistently sought the Agreement’s full implementation. Despite all the obstacles put in the way by others, we still seek that now.

“To achieve our goal, we have to get all parties working all the Agreement and all paramilitaries ending all their illegal activities.

“We have always known that this would be difficult. Today’s events only confirm the scale of the task still ahead.”