Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams yesterday insisted that there was no row between the party leadership and the IRA in Co Tyrone after claims that the Provisionals intimidated Cookstown district policing partnership members.
However, the Irish News understands that senior Sinn Féin figures, including Mr Adams and Martin McGuinness, had to step in after it emerged that Catholics serving on Cookstown district Policing Partnership (DPP) had been targeted by IRA members.
Last night, Sinn Féin representatives in Cookstown said that "everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet" over the issue of policing and that there had been no disagreement between the local party and the central leadership.
But sources told the Irish News that Sinn Féin's senior leadership had played "a positive role" by intervening in the Cookstown dispute.
"It was embarrassing for Sinn Féin when it came out that low-level IRA members were involved in intimidating some DPP members in Cookstown so Adams and McGuinness had to get in touch," one source said.
"The local leadership is opposed to moves towards signing up to policing but had to step into line when the big guns got involved," another said.
Sinn Féin councillor John McNamee, chairman of Cookstown District Council, said he was not aware of any rift between the party and the IRA in the area. He added that the alleged threats to DPP members had been "blown out of proportion".
"As far as I know there were no actual threats made to anyone in Cookstown and it is clear that the IRA was not involved," he said.
Earlier, Mr Adams telephoned BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster to angrily deny that there had been any row.
"It's not true," he said, several times.
SDLP former Mid Ulster assembly member Denis Haughey said: "It's still an open question as to who was involved (in the Cookstown DPP threats) but I would like the Provisional IRA leadership to come out and support the right of any individual to sit on a DPP if that is what they want to do."
Sinn Féin has condemned the Real IRA's campaign of intimidation and attacks targeted at Catholic DPP members. The RIRA claims that all DPP members are "legitimate targets".
