The civil servant questioned as part of a police inquiry into an alleged IRA spy ring inside Stormont has been suspended on full pay, it emerged today.
The man, who worked in former Northern Ireland first minister Mr David Trimble's private office, was released without charge after being arrested last week.
But a Civil Service spokesman today confirmed: "A civil servant has been suspended on full pay pending an ongoing Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation."
Four people, including Mr Denis Donaldson, Sinn Fein's head of administration at Stormont, were charged after police raided republican homes in west Belfast and seized hundreds of documents and computer disks last month.
The swoops led to the suspension of Northern Ireland's powersharing administration.
The man arrested last week had been working as a diary secretary for Mr Trimble and in the office of Deputy First Minister and SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan before the return of direct rule.
He was then transferred to work for one of Secretary of State Paul Murphy's junior ministers, Mr Ian Pearson, at Castle Buildings in the Stormont estate.
But after being quizzed by detectives he was released without being accused of any wrongdoing two days later.
Sinn Fein assembly member Mr Gerry Kelly claimed his suspension was an attempt to justify the initial arrest.
The North Belfast MLA said: "There can be no doubt that a witch hunt against Catholics who work in certain areas of the civil service and who live in working class nationalist areas is now under way." PA