Investigation of criminal acts in Northern Ireland was a matter for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the British ambassador, Sir Ivor Roberts, said yesterday in response to a protest letter handed in to the embassy by Sinn Féin TDs.
The ambassador formally acknowledged the letter, signed by the Sinn Féin party leader in the Oireachtas, Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and his colleagues, deputies Martin Ferris, Aengus Ó Snódaigh, Seán Crowe and Arthur Morgan.
Its purpose was "to demonstrate their anger and concern at the politically motivated raid on Sinn Féin's offices at Stormont last Friday", the party said.
"We wish to protest in the strongest terms at the RUC/PSNI raid on the Assembly offices of our party colleagues on October 4th, 2002," Mr Ferris said, "and at the arrest and charging of our party's administrator at Stormont, Denis Donaldson." Sinn Féin viewed the events of last Friday as a "stage-managed effort" to politically facilitate the withdrawal of the Ulster Unionist Party members from the Executive.
"We call upon the British government not to suspend the institutions established under the Good Friday agreement, but, on the contrary, to proceed with the implementation of that agreement, which has the overwhelming support of the Irish people."
This was in the "real interests" of both Irish and British people.
In response, Mr Roberts said that to suggest that "last week's arrests were in some way politically motivated" was wrong.
"A Sinn Féin official, amongst others, has been charged with very serious offences. Justice must now take its course."
The British government, he said, was committed to the implementation of the Belfast Agreement. "We continue to believe that it offers the best chance for the long-lasting peace that all the people on these islands deserve."
But the agreement was threatened, he insisted, by "those who have broken their commitment to resolve differences by exclusively democratic and peaceful means".
He concurred with Dr John Reid, the Northern Secretary, who had said the republican movement could not continue to "ride two horses" - especially when the "horses" were as far apart as democracy and violence.
All paramilitary groups - loyalist and the IRA - "must disband", said the ambassador, if the peace process was to advance.