IMC hand second report to governments

The government has received a second report from the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) into ongoing paramilitary activity.

Secretary of State Paul Murphy confirmed that he had received the report and that it would be “placed before parliament as soon as is practicable”.

The four commissioners - Lord Alderdice, John Grieve, Joe Brosnan and Richard Kerr - met in Belfast last week to finalise the report which is likely to concentrate on organised crime, including a number of robberies in recent months.

This includes the armed robbery of £1 million worth of goods from a wholesale store on the outskirts of Belfast in May which has been linked to republicans.

Meanwhile, the head of the decommissioning body IICD, General John de Chastelain, has returned to Belfast as negotiations continue among the local parties and government’s in breaking the current political deadlock.

Mr de Chastelain’s visit to the province surprised many given the current impasse and seemingly no imminent move from the IRA on “acts of completion”.

His visit also coincided with delegations from the DUP and Sinn Fein meeting the British Government in London to discuss recent efforts to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

(MB/GMCG)