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Loyalist claim 'laughable' - Orde | |
(about 10 hours later) | |
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. |
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