PSNI advances Garvaghy Road protest investigation

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is moving its investigation into the Garvaghy Road protest to the interview-letter stage, after gathering evidence about people it says are reasonably suspected of offences. Sinn Féin has confirmed that some of its representatives and members received police correspondence. Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said the investigation team had assembled evidential packages concerning identified people and would now send letters about the interview process. The correspondence is a step in the investigation and does not establish that recipients committed an offence. Police have not publicly detailed the suspected conduct or said how many people will receive letters. Sinn Féin said a number of its representatives and party members had received letters, but did not identify them in its statement. Finance Minister John O’Dowd, Conor Murphy and Gerry Kelly were named in a separate account as recipients. First Minister Michelle O’Neill said on October 9 that she had not received a letter by that morning, but expected one and would engage with the process.