Ahern says IMC may sanction Sinn Féin

The Government has not ruled the possibility of the Independent Monitoring Commission taking sanctions against Sinn Féin following the Northern Bank robbery in December, according to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern.

Mr Ahern made his comments following a meeting with Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams in Dublin today.

The Taoiseach is to meet the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) on Monday, a day before he meets Mr Blair to assess if any political progress can be made in the short to medium-term.

Following today's meeting, Mr Gerry Adams said the Taoiseach was unable to back claims that he and Mr Martin McGuinness had prior knowledge of the recent Belfast bank heist blamed on the IRA.

Minister Ahern said: "There may well be consequences for them in the next Independent Monitoring Commission report."

The Minister for Justice, Mr Michael McDowell insisted he stood by the Taoiseach's belief that the IRA carried out the Northern Bank robbery and that Sinn Fein leaders knew about it.

After almost two hours of discussions with the Taoiseach in Dublin today, Mr Adams said Mr Ahern's allegations that he and Mr Martin McGuinness had prior knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery were discussed but that Mr Ahern "could not stand them up."

Mr Adams reiterated his belief in the IRAs denial of responsibility for the robbery and said the reason why "there can be no intelligence or no evidence because we simply didn't have any knowledge."

However, Mr Adams said there was "a lot of agreement" between both sides on the need to "move the process forward."

In reference to speculation that sanctions might be imposed by the Government on Sinn Féin, Mr Adams said Mr Ahern told him the Government was opposed to sanctions and to demonising or "in any way excluding any section of the community."

Speaking earlier, Mr Adams said anti-Sinn Féin elements "from Ian Paisley down to the Progressive Democrats" were seeking to make "opportunistic political capital" out of the robbery.

The meeting, which started at 1 p.m., was the first since the IRA were blamed for the £26.5 million sterling Northern Bank robbery in Belfast before Christmas.

Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness speaking to reporters outside Government Buildings today. Photo: Ray Lucey

This afternoon, Mr Ahern is also meeting representatives of the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists.

PSNI chief Constable Hugh Orde claimed the IRA was behind the bank heist on December 20th but offered no evidence. His claim has been accepted by the Government, most likely leading to a stalling in the peace process until after May's UK general election.

The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, has warned Sinn Féin that "they alone have the power to turn away from paramilitarism and towards the exclusively peaceful means of resolving political differences.

"They alone must decide if they will abide totally and absolutely by the Mitchell principles. They alone must decide if they honour the sovereign vote of the Irish people to ratify the Good Friday Agreement," he said.