Gerry Adams recent press release on the Sinn Fein website states:
In recent days there has been deliberate misrepresentation about the OTR issue and the provision of letters by the British government.
“Unionist leaders have intentionally engaged in hyperbole and feigned anger over an issue that has been on the political and public agenda since the Good Friday Agreement negotiations.
“The fact is that there was no agreement between Sinn Féin and the British government on how to resolve the issue of OTRs. Those who received the letters, as they are entitled to, were citizens who were not wanted by the British forces and they received their letters because this was the case.
But in 2012 he sent a letter to Gerry McGeough:
Paragraph 20 of the Weston Park Agreement states
Both Governments recognise that there is an issue to be addressed, with the completion of the early release scheme, about supporters of organisations now on ceasefire against whom there are outstanding prosecutions, and in some cases extradition proceedings for offences committed before 10 April 1998. Such people would, if convicted, stand to benefit from the early release scheme. The Governments accept that it would be a natural development of the scheme for such prosecutions not to be pursued and will as soon as possible, and in any event before the end of the year, take such steps as are necessary in their jurisdiction to resolve this difficulty so that those concerned are no longer pursued.
This agreement emerged as a result of demands by Sinn Féin at that time for this issue to be dealt with effectively.
The text of the above paragraph represents in our view, an explicit and unambiguous commitment by the Governments not to pursue a conviction against anyone, who would, if convicted, stand to benefit from the early-release scheme.
A similar letter from Gerry Kelly is at the same link. Gerry McGeough maintains he was given assurances by Sinn Fein, specifically Gerry Kelly that he had been given the Ok to return to Tyrone after his name had been put on a Sinn Fein list given to the British government.
Anthony McIntyre has picked up on this and has blogged it here.
IT Technical Manager for a CCTV company in the UK & Ireland. Christian, Orangeman, Unionist. Webmaster of Ulster-Scots Online. Occasional blogger on Slugger O’ Toole. Eurosceptic. @Kilsally
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