Legal firm’s fury after police defer plan to quiz solicitor on eve of trial
Thursday, 3 November 2011
A legal firm has said the planned arrest of one of its lawyers was an attempt to “undermine his ability” to conduct the defence in a high-profile murder trial next week.
It is understood leading lawyer Peter Corrigan had originally been asked to report to police today after being told he was to be arrested regarding charges against two of his clients.
But last night police appeared to back off after receiving “additional information which would make it inappropriate to progress with what was intended to be a planned and voluntary interview”.
They added they would be rescheduling it for a later date.
The Belfast lawyer is due in court on Monday to lead the defence of Colin Duffy and Brian Shivers — accused of murdering Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar. The soldiers were shot dead outside Massereene army barracks in Antrim in 2009.
It is understood Mr Corrigan’s proposed police interview is not connected to the case.
A spokesman for Kevin R Winters and Company said the move had represented “oppression of the worst kind”.
The company where Mr Corrigan is a senior member claimed that it would have been “an attack on the integrity of a lawyer defending his client and sends out a sinister message to those who robustly defend the interests of those charged before our criminal justice system”.
In a statement, Mr Corrigan’s legal firm had described the move as a “completely unfounded manoeuvre on the part of the PSNI intended to undermine our firm’s ability to conduct the defence in a forthcoming high-profile trial.”
In an earlier statement last night, police said they “have a legal responsibility to follow all lines of enquiry as part of their investigations into organised criminality”.
“No inference should be drawn from this.”
The PSNI added that they were “continuing to make a number of enquiries into money laundering”.
Posted on behalf of : By John Mulgrew
Part of the Independent News & Media Group
seachranaidhe1 
ThisThis type of thing occurs in China. Do that mean that. PSNI. Is as oppressive as China in the area of Human Rights?
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