Minister for Justice Michael McDowell insisted that only the PSNI can investigate the killing of Robert McCartney and he criticised a suggestion by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams that anyone involved could come forward by making a statement to a solicitor.
Speaking in Cork after the IRA issued its statement that it was expelling three of its volunteers but before a person contacted the PSNI, Mr Adams suggested that if he himself were involved, he would make a statement to a solicitor to be given to the courts.
"If I had been caught up in this dreadful business in Magennis's Bar and its aftermath, leading to the killing of Robert McCartney and I had wakened up the next morning to realise what had occurred - as a republican, I would make myself available to the courts.
"All I can say, if it was me, if I was a perpetrator, I would walk into my solicitor's office and would tell my solicitor what I had been involved in and I would then go and make myself accountable to the courts in that way.
"The family, in my opinion - and the family will speak for themselves - want to see whoever was responsible for the death of their brother accountable to the courts. I don't think they would be precious about whatever avenue people would use for that." Mr Adams said, although he had reservations as a republican about the court system, he believed that if he had been involved in the killing, it was only by making himself available to the courts that he could bring recompense to the McCartney family.
However, Mr Adams's suggestion failed to impress Mr McDowell, who said that the only way that the killers of Mr McCartney can be brought to justice is by people making statements to the PSNI that can be used in evidence in court.
