Mike Nesbitt MLA said:
“The news that the Police Ombudsman is investigating allegations of misconduct in public office and criminality is in my opinion, the most serious accusation to face the PSNI in its history. The very fact that the allegations are now in the public domain can only serve to undermine public confidence in the service.
“It is imperative that the Ombudsman does two things urgently. Firstly, Mr Michael Maguire must explain how and why these allegations have been made public before the conclusion of his investigation. Secondly, he must finish that investigation as quickly as possible, and by that I mean days and weeks, not months and years so the appropriate actions can be taken to restore the reputation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.”
Alan Chambers MLA, Ulster Unionist Policing spokesperson, said:
“The Police Ombudsman needs to commit the necessary resources to accelerate the investigation. These are serious allegations which cannot be allowed to hang over the senior command team of the PSNI and need to be brought to a conclusion one way or another. There should be a Policing Board in place to provide oversight.”