A senior republican questioned by police about the murder of Belfast father-of-two Robert McCartney today denied ordering the attack.
Gerard "Jock" Davison also refused to be drawn on claims he was one of three members of the Provisional IRA kicked out of the organisation amid a public outcry over the killing.
And in a newspaper interview he insisted: "There is not a snowball's chance in hell that I would even involve myself in an incident like that . . . I totally refute that allegation, it's wrong, it's unfair on me."
His comments came as the sisters of Robert McCartney planned a possible visit to Washington during St Patrick's Day celebrations as part of their campaign to get justice for their brother's killing.
Although the police have questioned a number of people about the attack on the 33-year-old and another man in a Belfast city centre bar on January 30th, no one has been charged.
Mr McCartney died in hospital after being stabbed following a row in Magennis' Bar escalated into violence. Another man, Mr Brendan Devine was also seriously injured.
Last Friday, the IRA announced that it had expelled three members of its organisation following an internal investigation into the murder. But while the move has been welcomed by the McCartney family, they have urged the Provisionals to go further and hand over all 12 men who they claim were involved in the killing.
The family also believes people who are not members of the IRA were involved in the subsequent clean up operation and cover up.
In an interview with the Belfast-based Daily Irelandnewspaper, Mr Davison confirmed he had been in the bar when the row broke out and had tried to intervene to calm down the situation. He said he was stabbed in the hand after getting caught in a brawl but did not know what had happened to Mr McCartney.
Mr Davison added that he supported the McCartney family's quest for justice and did not believe potential witnesses have been intimidated from going to the police or solicitors with eyewitness accounts of what happened.
"I understand that the family is going through hell but there is more than one victim in this," he said. "I was stabbed as well . . . I know they lost their brother. I support their quest for justice, I support it wholeheartedly.
"I lost a member of my family who was killed by the cops and I argue for justice in that case, so I have total support for everything they are trying to do and I do support them but as I said to you at the outset of all of this, this is a political arrest."
Mr Davison said he had also offered to meet the McCartney family but they had refused. He said as a republican he wanted people to come forward with information.
Last night Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams issued a statement calling on Mr McCartney's murderers to come forward and take responsibility. "Self preservation and selfishness will not prevail," he said.
PA