Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Maskey: Threat won’t stop me
Speaker warned of ‘imminent attack’
POLICE have told Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey of a threat against him, it was announced yesterday.
In a statement, the Sinn Fein MLA said he will not be stopped in his work after the warning of “an imminent attack”.
It comes just weeks after the party received details of a potential car bomb bid against members by dissidents.
Mr Maskey said: “I was visited by the PSNI yesterday and informed a threat has been received of an imminent attack against me.
“I note this threat was received in the week when I announced my intention to use the role of Speaker to represent every side of the Assembly Chamber and to engage with every section of our community.
“This threat will not deter me from those events or continuing such efforts in the future. As Speaker of the Assembly, I will be clear intimidation of any elected representative in our democratic institutions is deplorable.” The threat comes after Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’neill said the party received information of a car bomb attack following the party’s attendance at a PSNI recruitment campaign launch. Last month, she added: “Police have told Sinn Fein that persons aligned with the dissident Republican group, the so-called New IRA, plan to attack a Sinn Fein member using an under car explosive device.
“We have been told this planned attack could happen anywhere in the North.
“This is not the first time this particular group have made threats against Sinn Fein members and the PSNI is taking this threat very seriously.”