Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney.
The expected the Hallett Report into the controversial “On The Run” (OTR) scheme clearly demonstrates the scheme was “neither secret or illegal,” Sinn Féin vice-chair of the Justice Committee, Derry MLA Raymond McCartney has said.
Raymond McCartney said: “The OTR issue was one of a number which Sinn Féin and other parties raised with the two governments in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement.
“The scheme was put in place by the British government in line with commitments made by both governments to address this issue.
“In the aftermath of the Downey case, Sinn Fein cooperated fully with the Hallett Inquiry and outlined Sinn Féin’s engagement on this issue from the Good Friday Agreement onwards.
“Judge Hallett has said clearly that the process was lawful.
“The report also makes it clear that the process was not secret, there are over 30 pages of material included in the report, which was in the public domain.
“This included reports in the media, questions and answers in Dáil Éireann and in the two British houses of parliament, Policing Board minutes and the Eames Bradley Report.
“A long list of politicians from the DUP, UUP, Alliance and SDLP discussed the issue over a period of a decade in meetings with the British government and British officials.
“The two governments made commitments to deal with the anomaly of the issue of the On the Runs in the wake of the Early Release Scheme under the Good Friday Agreement.”
Mr McCartney concluded: “We expect the governments to live up to those political commitments.”
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