Ulster Unionist Party Policing Spokesperson, Alan Chambers MLA, has hit out at Sinn Fein’s double standards on legacy files.

Alan Chambers MLA, who represents his party on the Policing Board, said:

“Legacy matters have once again been to the forefront with a focus on the PSNI retention and management of files.

“On one Radio programme Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly was demanding that police files be opened up to scrutiny. Does he mean intelligence files?

“Republicans used to complain about ‘British securocrats’ spreading false information. Now they seem to be setting great store in intelligence files gathered by the same people who they previously said could not be trusted.

“I rather suspect that where intelligence files name informants or criminal suspects who are loyalists, Sinn Fein will accept such information as gospel truth. But where intelligence files name republican informants or suspects, this will no doubt be dismissed as disinformation and dirty tricks. 

“As with their attitude to the EU, Sinn Fein appear to have made a complete u turn regarding information and files. They have certainly come a long way from September 1992 when the IRA detonated a 3,000 lb bomb outside the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory near Belvoir Park, in a bid to destroy evidence in terrorist cases. 

“Indeed, the IRA routinely bombed police stations right across this country destroying files and evidence in the process, so it’s rather curious to see that republicans are now so keen to gain access to files. Especially when republicans have consistently refused to reveal the truth about their own past deeds.”