Detectives are tonight questioning a man about the murder of Robert McCartney, stabbed to death after a row with republicans in a Belfast bar in January.
The man, aged 31, went to a police station of his own volition accompanied by his solicitor at lunchtime today. The PSNI have refused to discolose the location of the station but have indicated it is near Belfast. It is understood the man being questioned is from the Markets area not far from the bar.
Mr McCartney (33) a father of two, died when he was attacked by IRA men outside Magennis's Bar on the night of January 30th.
The IRA later admitted three of its members were allegedly involved in the fatal attack. The Sinn Fein leadership have urged the killers to give themselves up, police have yet to charge anyone in connection with the murder.
Immediately after the attack the murder scene was cleaned up and the murder weapon, a kitchen knife, has never been recovered.
At least two Sinn Fein election candidates and a former party councillor were among 70-plus customers in the bar on the night of the attack.
Mr McCartney's five sisters and his partner Bridgeen Hagans have waged a
massive campaign in a bid to bring the killers to justice. Tonight they said they were not surprised at the latest development.
Catherine McCartney said: "We expected this to happen and we think it's part
of the strategy to trivialise the charges. We know what they are (IRA) at."
PA