A Belfast businessman last night (Thursday) claimed that police attempted to recruit him as an informer after raiding his premises in connection with the Stormont spy-ring allegations.
The west Belfast man, who did not want to be named, alleged that the approach was made last Friday by two detectives who told him that he had only a "short time left" to consider forming a "long-term relationship" with the security forces.
He claimed it happened after he had voluntarily gone to a police station in east Belfast to confirm if invoices seized from his accountant's office belonged to him.
"Police officers investigating the spying visited my offices and home last Thursday," the 58-year-old man said.
"They came to me because my business had supplied some of the equipment that had been seized as part of that investigation, so they needed to check where it had come from.
"They had a search warrant, but I was happy to cooperate and the police were definitely not heavy handed and were courteous."
Computers, software and documents were seized during the visit and invoices, which were with the businessman's accountant, were collected by police last Friday morning.
"Last Friday night I was asked if I could come to Lisnasharragh to check if they had got the correct invoices," he said.
"I arrived there at about 7.30pm and met the detective who had a folder holding the invoices. I looked at them and told him they were mine.
"He took some notes and then said there were two other people who wanted to see me."
The detective left the room and two other men, one with an English accent and one with a Northern Ireland accent, entered and introduced themselves as Tim and Steve, he claimed.
"The only thing they told me about themselves was their names," the businessman said.
"Steve, who had the Northern Irish accent, said – 'We know everything about your private life, your business life and your future business plans'.
"'We know that you are not interested in money but we have the resources and we could be of help to you in many ways.'
"When he said all that I started getting frightened and looked down at the table, not at them.
"Tim then told me – 'I can tell you now you are going for a custodial sentence.'
"This really worried me because I had cooperated with the police throughout and had not even been cautioned or charged with anything."
He claims Tim continued: "I know you are not going to talk to us but I know you are listening. What we talking about here is a long-term relationship. You have a short time left to consider this."
Since then, the man said he has had no further contact with police and feels "frightened and disillusioned".
"There's a difference between trying to recruit someone to be an informer by putting pressure on them and them volunteering to do it, like Stakeknife is supposed to have done," he said.
"People who do that sort of thing end up with a bullet and I want no part of that.
"I support the political process and the Good Friday Agreement 110% and we've got policing boards and so on, but I honestly thought this sort of activity was a thing of the past.
"When those who make the law break the law there is no law."
A police spokesman said: "The gathering of intelligence, including the use of covert human intelligence sources to tackle crime, is strictly regulated by the Regulatory Investigative Powers Act.
"Anyone who believes a police officer has acted inappropriately should contact the office of the police ombudsman."
