SINN FÉIN’S GERRY Kelly says he has spoken to police after being filmed using a bolt-cutter to remove a clamp from his car.
Kelly, an MLA and the party’s policing spokesman in the North, was filmed removing a clamp from the front wheel of his car and leaving it by a nearby wall on Friday.
Footage of the incident emerged on social media over the weekend, prompting the party to release a statement confirming what had happened, on Saturday evening:
“Yesterday, Friday 2 February, Gerry Kelly MLA returned to his car after an early morning gym session to find that his car had been made immobile by a clamp just after 7.20am.
He removed the clamp from the front wheel. He left the device nearby and drove off to pre-arranged meetings.
“His solicitor is dealing with the matter and he will be making no further comment at this time.”
In a tweet last night Kelly said he had made a voluntary arrangement to meet police and had met them for an interview.
“No one can be above the law,” his tweet said.
Mary Lou McDonald, who will take over from Gerry Adams as Sinn Féin leader this weekend, told reporters yesterday she would wait to hear the full facts before commenting.
She did say, however, that she had “no idea” why Kelly would have a bolt-cutter in his car.
Kelly, a former high-profile IRA operative and political prisoner, has been a Sinn Féin MLA for Belfast North since 1998.
The incident comes as parties in the North make another attempt this week to break the deadlock in Stormont. The five main parties will take part in round-table talks.
Gerry Adams said yesterday that he believed an agreement could be reached.
“I’ve every confidence in Michelle O’Neill in terms of her ability to make friends with the unionists and to go forward on the basis of equality,” Adams told the BBC’s Andrew Marr.
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