Files on Drumcree parade suspects to be sent - Boutcher
Files on suspects accused of criminal offences during a protest that blocked the proposed route of an Orange Order parade along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown will be sent to prosecutors to decide if they will face charges within days, the Chief Constable of the PSNI said.
The Chief Constable of the PSNI, Jon Boutcher, announced that files on suspects accused of criminal offenses during the Drumcree parade protest will be sent to prosecutors in the coming days to determine if charges will be brought. Detectives investigating the incident have identified 65 suspects, out of whom 23 have already been interviewed.
The case files are being prepared and are expected to be submitted to the Public Prosecution Service for further action. Among those interviewed are Sinn Féin leaders such as Mary Lou McDonald, Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Kelly, and Deirdre Hargey, who are also involved in the Policing Board. Boutcher emphasized that the investigation is one of the most complex the PSNI has encountered recently, costing £5.5 million to police the two-week stand-off.
He dismissed claims that the investigation was taking too long, stating that the team of 30 detectives reviewing over 70 hours of recorded material has been working swiftly. The court ruling that the parade ban was lawful has also supported Boutcher's decision to seek a review of the original Parades Commission decision, stating that all lawful and proportionate options had been exhausted, and a major public order intervention would have posed significant risks.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
