The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday sent a message to the IRA to give up involvement in all forms of criminal activity.
Groups linked to parties in the Northern Ireland peace process must not only renounce terrorism but also cease criminal actions of all kinds, he told his monthly press conference at 10 Downing Street.
Mr Blair was responding to rumours that the Provisional IRA may have been involved in the Belfast bank robbery which netted £22 million (€31.3 million) on December 21st.
The Prime Minister stressed he was not prejudging the result of police inquiries into the robbery at the Northern Bank. But added: "We have to wait for the authorities to make their judgment on this. But be under no misunderstanding at all, there can be absolutely no place not merely for terrorist activity, but for criminal activity of any sort by people associated with a political party.
"There is no way that this thing is going to work or that other political parties will accept such a thing, rightly. We will have to wait and see what happens, but the ban on terrorist activity includes a complete prohibition on criminal activity as well."
Some observers have speculated that the Provisional IRA may have carried out the robbery in order to obtain funds to "pension off" militants after the end of the armed struggle. - (PA)