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Board meets after tribal remarks Loyalist claim 'laughable' - Orde
(about 10 hours later)
Sir Hugh Orde is due to attend the first public meeting of the Policing Board since he made controversial remarks about the body last month. A complaint by prominent loyalists led to Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde being interviewed under caution, it has emerged at a Policing Board meeting.
William 'Mo' Courtney and the Shoukri brothers, Ihab and Andre, claimed he prejudiced their right to a fair trial by claiming they were in the UDA.
The Police Ombudsman's office questioned him about the complaint, which Sir Hugh said was "laughable".
All three are either in jail or awaiting sentence.
I think it's interesting these so-called big men go running to the ombudsman when we arrest them for very serious offences Sir Hugh OrdeChief constable
Courtney was jailed last year for eight years for his part in the killing of a UDA member.
Andre Shoukri is serving a nine-year sentence for trying to extort thousands of pounds from a pub owner, while his brother Ihab is awaiting sentence after pleading guilty last month to being a member of the UDA.
Sir Hugh said the men's complaint was indicative of a tactic used by criminals in Northern Ireland to throw a smokescreen around their own wrongdoings.
"I think it's interesting these so-called big men go running to the ombudsman when we arrest them for very serious offences," he said at a Policing Board meeting in Belfast.
"I think that's an almost laughable tactic.
"But it's a very real issue for my officers who are routinely complained about, unfounded complaints, because people are trying to throw a smokescreen around quite lawful, proper and legitimate arrests.
"All credit to the Ombudsman, they investigate these things fully and, very frequently, find there is no case for my officers to answer."
Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson has not yet informed Sir Hugh of his office's findings.
Controversial remarks
It was the first public meeting of the Policing Board since Sir Hugh made controversial remarks about the body last month.
At a function in Dublin, the chief constable accused the board's political members of "being more interested in sectarian arguments than policing".At a function in Dublin, the chief constable accused the board's political members of "being more interested in sectarian arguments than policing".
Sir Hugh said some of his junior officers asked more strategic questions than the board.Sir Hugh said some of his junior officers asked more strategic questions than the board.
He then went on to accuse some board members of being "a bit tribal".He then went on to accuse some board members of being "a bit tribal".
The board demanded clarification of his remarks, which Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey described as outrageous.The board demanded clarification of his remarks, which Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey described as outrageous.
The chief constable has spoken personally to the chairman of the Policing Board to clarify the remarks, which a police spokeswoman said had been taken out of context.The chief constable has spoken personally to the chairman of the Policing Board to clarify the remarks, which a police spokeswoman said had been taken out of context.