WikiLeaks implicates Sinn Fein chiefs in Northern Rock robbery

There is "rock solid evidence" that Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams were involved in the 2004 Northern Rock robbery, if sources quoted by WikiLeaks are to be believed.

The raid, which took place in December six years ago, in which £26.5 million was taken, has since been blamed on the IRA, a charge which the organisation and Gerry Adams deny.

James Kenny, US ambassador to Dublin said, in February 2005, that there was “rock solid evidence that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness are members of the IRA military command and for that reason, the Taoiseach is certain they would have known in advance of the robbery”.

“The Taoiseach believes Sinn Féin leaders were aware of plans to rob the Northern Bank even as they negotiated with him last fall (August). Publicly, he has been unprecedentedly critical of Sinn Féin and, until recently, there were greatly reduced private contacts as well.”

A Sinn Fein spokesman said last night, however, that there was “not a shred of evidence that ever linked the IRA to the robbery. It is no surprise that political opponents of Sinn Féin at the time such as Bertie Ahern should have been trying to smear Sinn Féin and they are still doing it.”