Sinn Fein's Mr Martin McGuinness has described an allegation made by a British agent that Mr McGuinness fired the first shot on Bloody Sunday as "bogus and wholly unsubstantiated".
Mr McGuinness also condemned a decision by Lord Saville denying the opportunity for his lawyers or those representing the Bloody Sunday families to cross-examine the witness or challenge the allegation.
The agent, codenamed "Infliction", has not been called to give evidence at the inquiry but his handlers are to give evidence to the inquiry tomorrow.
Mr McGuinness said: "My legal team have, additionally, been informed that the cross-examination of the various British Intelligence "handlers" and other British security service officers who are being called to authenticate the evidence of unnamed informers, will be restricted in an unprecedented manner".
Mr McGuinness said that following consultation with his legal representatives "I have decided that they should not participate in this sham of a cross-examination.
"I am being denied the right to challenge unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations made about me by an anonymous individual. "I have therefore instructed my lawyers not to engage in this restricted and meaningless form of cross-examination," said Mr McGuinness.
He said his lawyers appeared before the tribunal, currently sitting in London, this morning to outline directly his reasons for the decision. He said: "Unlike 'Infliction' I will be appearing in person before the tribunal when it returns to Derry".
PA