Sinn Fein councillor Sean McGlinchey arrested over Dungiven paramilitary probe
DETECTIVES investigating paramilitary crime in Dungiven have arrested Sinn Féin councillor Sean ‘Chinky’ McGlinchey.
The 59-year-old was detained in the Co Derry town on Tuesday morning by officers from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit (TIU).
McGlinchey – jailed in the 1970s for 18 years for planting a bomb in Coleraine killing eight civilians – is the seventh person to be arrested in the investigation over the past five days.
He is the brother of former INLA chief of staff Dominic ‘Mad Dog’ McGlinchey.
Det Ch Insp Una Jennings said officers were “investigating various forms of paramilitary activity”.
“These include shooting incidents and threats mainly over the past four years,” she said.
Mr McGlinchey has been taken to Antrim police station for questioning.
Seven men have been questioned by detectives and five of them have been released unconditionally.
One of the men, who is 53, was released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Services.
Of those arrested was Sinn Fein counclllor Tony McCaul who is now planning to sue the PSNI.
Mr McGlinchey is the former mayor of Limavady Borough Council.
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Ó hOisín said: “I am disappointed that the PSNI have chosen once again to mount a high-profile arrest operation of a local councillor.
“Sean McGlinchey’s solicitor contacted the PSNI stating that his client would present himself voluntarily to answer any questions following the arrest of another Sinn Féin councillor last week on the most spurious of grounds.”
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