Malicious call to Ritchie: man is quizzed
A MAN has been questioned and a file is being sent to public prosecutors after an alleged UDA death threat to Stormont Minister Margaret Ritchie.
As the minister's deadline for UDA decommissioning expired, police confirmed they had questioned someone in relation to a malicious phone call.
The News Letter understands that there is no UDA threat.
And Ms Ritchie's Department of Social Development had "no comment" to make last night on the suggestion that the person may be a disgruntled government employee.
What is known is that the call was made to the minister's office last Friday.
Ms Ritchie has also spoken of pressure on her from a variety of sources over the plan to end funding for the 1.2 million Conflict Transformation Initiative.
But while she acknowledged Northern Ireland Office pressure not to axe the money and other pressure to carry out her threat, she had not mentioned any phone call.
Posters had also been put up outside Ms Ritchie's Downpatrick constituency office saying SDLP stood for Sectarian Demonisation of Loyalist People.
A police spokesperson said: "While we cannot comment on specific details of personal security or an investigation, we can confirm that a report is being prepared for the Public Prosecution Service after police carried out an investigation, following a complaint of a malicious phone call."
They added there had been no arrest.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration in Washington made a surprise intervention in the UDA arms debate last night.
The President's Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, Paula Dobriansky, said: "The United States welcomes moves by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) to enter meaningful engagement with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD).
"We have consistently called for all paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland to decommission and there is no rationale for the continued possession of illegal arms. We are encouraged that interlocutors have now been appointed and hope further negotiations will bring about significant and rapid progress."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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