The civil servant arrested on Wednesday in connection with the spying investigation at Stormont has been released without charge. The man had access to the office of the First and Deputy First Ministers, Mr David Trimble and Mr Mark Durkan, and to sensitive documents including ministers' diary arrangements.
The SDLP and Sinn Féin greeted the release. Mr Mark Durkan said: "This vindicates my warning yesterday for people not to jump to any conclusions about the arrest."
Using remarks thought to be aimed at Mr Trimble, he added: "I hope that those who have been multiplying suspicions over this incident will stop doing so. Those who have been involved in intelligence-gathering must also realise that their actions have left many decent Catholics working in the civil service under suspicion.
"Finally," Mr Durkan said, "I hope that the media will continue to respect the right to privacy of the civil servant concerned."
Mr Gerry Kelly, Sinn Féin's spokesman on policing, said: "This young man was arrested and then demonised in the media by a mixture of PSNI briefing and comment from Tony Blair and David Trimble down. Mr Blair described the arrest as a 'grave and serious matter'. Mr Trimble said 'it has huge implications for the peace process'. Both should now apologise publicly for their remarks."
"At the time Sinn Féin argued that the arrest was part of a wider anti-peace process agenda operated by the Special Branch. We argued that it seemed a McCarthy-type witch-hunt was under way against Catholics in the civil service who lived in working-class nationalist areas."
He added: "The effect of this arrest could potentially damage this man's career and has clearly made him a target and put his life in jeopardy."
Mr Kelly claimed the man's personal details had been given to journalists by the PSNI and said his release "should act as a guide for those within the political and media establishment who have in recent weeks rushed to charge and convict people on the basis of briefing from the PSNI Special Branch."
An Ulster Unionist Party spokesman said: "Anybody who is arrested and is released without charge is to be regarded as an innocent man."
The release follows the arrest and charging of four people last month in connection with searches carried out at Parliament Buildings at Stormont and at addresses across Belfast. Mr Denis Donaldson, Sinn Féin's head of administration at the Assembly, was among those charged.