The News Letter is reporting that Martin McGuinness may be about to be interviewed by the Historical Enquiries Team regarding the 1981 murder of census worker Joanne Mathers.
From the News letter:
On Monday, MP Gregory Campbell referred to the fact obliquely when he raised a point of order in the assembly.
Addressing assembly speaker Willie Hay, Mr Campbell (DUP) said: “If it transpires — my understanding is that it will — that the deputy first minister’s name will be implicated in relation to that investigation, how would a justice minister be expected to work in the context of a live investigation that was currently going on, until that matter be dispensed with?”
The HET will, over the next couple of weeks, receive information, some of which will include the name of Martin McGuinness in respect of a murder of 30 years ago.
“In normal circumstances, the next stage of the investigation is to hold a conversation with the person who has been named to see if they can give any further information in respect of that incident, so that’s what I would expect them to do.
“The key question at this stage is: does the deputy first minister fully cooperate with the HET in order to try and bring some form of closure in this incident, specifically as it directly affects a family member?”
The IRA has previously refused to cooperate with the HET as have Sinn Fein.
The HET in line with their policy have refused to comment on whether they are going to interview McGuinness.. Again from the News Letter:
“The Historical Enquiries Team deals with families on a strictly confidential basis.
“It does not discuss the progress or contents of a review with anyone except the family involved.”
But, in an interview with the News Letter last year, the head of the HET, Dave Cox, insisted that if a prominent politician was believed to have information about a case they would be treated in exactly the same way as any other individual.
This author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.