Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has questioned why seven days on from the call for a judge-led inquiry into the controversy of the On The Runs, no inquiry has begun.
Mr Nesbitt said:
“A week ago, the First Minister was huffing and puffing about resignation matters. Then, he climbed down over the promise of this judge-led process.
“It hardly needs said that a judge-led process without a judge to lead it is not a process at all.
“This stinks of a cover-up designed to push the conclusion of the process beyond the 22nd of May Elections and protect the vested interests at the heart of the devolved government.
“If the political will was there, I see no reason why this inquiry could not be completed and report its findings in time for the electorate to do what it is entitled to do – vote on the basis of what they believe and who they trust.
“In 1998 the Ulster Unionist Party paved the way for a peaceful, prosperous society for all. The current custodians of the political process have failed to deliver, and the latest proof is the week long delay in beginning the inquiry into the OTRs. Victims once again suffer to protect the SF/DUP carve-up at the heart of government.”