Robert McCartney murder inquiry: Man, 53, faces charges
Robert McCartney murder: Leading republican faces charges
(35 minutes later)
Police investigating offences in relation to the murder of Robert McCartney have charged a 53-year-old man with two offences.
A leading republican has been charged with two offences by police investigating offences in relation to the murder of Robert McCartney in 2005.
It is understood he is Padraic Wilson, who was the leader of IRA prisoners in the Maze Prison in the late 1990s.
He is to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with IRA membership and addressing a meeting to encourage support of the IRA.
He is to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with IRA membership and addressing a meeting to encourage support of the IRA.
The charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.
Mr McCartney, 33, was stabbed to death outside Magennis's bar in Belfast.
Mr McCartney, 33, a father of two, was stabbed to death outside Magennis's bar in Belfast on 30 January 2005.
The murder had major repercussions for Sinn Fein which was involved in delicate political negotiations aimed at securing its support for the police.
Within hours of Mr McCartney's death, it was claimed that IRA members had been involved after a fight - a claim rejected by Sinn Fein.
Mr McCartney's family accused republicans of covering up what happened, and threatening witnesses. His sisters accused Sinn Fein and the IRA of obstructing efforts to bring their brother's killers to justice.
They mounted a high-profile campaign that took them from the streets of the working class nationalist Short Strand to the White House, and even to Sinn Fein's ard fheis [party conference] in Dublin.
The IRA expelled three members over the murder and Sinn Fein subsequently suspended seven of its members.
In 2008, Terence Davison, 51, was acquitted of Mr McCartney's murder and two other men were cleared of charges connected to the killing.
