THE questioning of the shortlisted candidates for the post of PSNI Chief Constable began well ahead of Wednesday's marathon selection session before the Policing Board.
Mr Hugh Orde, Mr Alan McQuillan and Mr Chris Albiston had gone through a day-long "psychometric" assessment carried out under practices followed by the Civil Service Senior Staffs' Association.
The interview day got under way at 8.15 a.m. for the eight members of the Policing Board's sub-committee. The chairman, Prof Desmond Rea, the deputy chairman, Mr Denis Bradley, and members Mr Sammy Wilson of the DUP, Mr Fred Cobain of the Ulster Unionists, Mr Joe Byrne of the SDLP and independents Mr Suneil Sharma, Ms Pauline McCabe and Mr Barry Gilligan, were invited to a working breakfast at the board's headquarters in Belfast's revamped docklands.
The first to be interviewed was Mr Alan McQuillan, the assistant chief constable for the greater Belfast area and the only local candidate. He gave a 15-minute personal presentation, followed by a one-hour question and answer session. After his departure, the sub-committee held a short discussion on the merits of the interview. They also scored the candidate on 12 counts. Sources have echoed claims that Mr McQuillan under-performed at the interview.
Mr Hugh Orde, the deputy assistant commissioner from the London Metropolitan Police, began his 15-minute presentation at 11.15 a.m. and he, too, took questions from the panel for a further hour. He is understood to have performed impressively and with some passion.
The final candidate, Mr Chris Albiston, went before the panel at about 2.15 p.m. Like the others, he made his case and fielded questions. The Irish Times understands that he did better in the former than in the latter and that he lacked rapport with his questioners.
After a further break, the real talking began among the panel members at about 4 p.m. The formal recording of scores and assessment began and there was a report from Mr Dan Crompton, of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary, who was advising the panel for the day.
It was then that the key disagreement emerged. An assessment offered by the HMIC adviser indicated that, at 43, Mr Orde was relatively young for the position. It was this which was seized upon by the two unionist members, Mr Cobain and Mr Wilson. They say that this should have been sufficient to deny Mr Orde the position.
A press conference had been called at the Policing Board for 6 p.m. Then, shortly before 7 p.m., it was announced that a delay of at least one hour could be expected.
Reliable sources have told The Irish Times that time was taken informing the three candidates of the decision and gaining acceptance of the offer from Mr Orde. He accepted immediately.
With approval from Dr John Reid, the Northern Secretary, necessary to complete the process, attempts began to locate the minister. He was eventually traced to Downing Street, having been flown to RAF Northolt earlier that evening.
Rumours swept the conference room, where reporters had reassembled shortly before 9 p.m., that Mr Orde was the chosen one. However, it only became clear when Prof Rea led in the panel members minus the two unionists that the decision to appoint the man from the Met had been marked by dissent.