The Government yesterday rejected Sinn Féin demands that it intervene to secure the release of Mr Martin Ferris, whose arrest yesterday morning was described by the party as "a gross interference in the democratic process". Mr Ferris was released shortly before 10 p.m. yesterday
After Mr Martin McGuinness, contacted the Government to seek Mr Ferris's release, a Government spokeswoman said there was "no question of the Taoiseach or any other Minister intervening in the operational matters of the gardaí. It would be absolutely inappropriate."
Mr Ferris was arrested yesterday morning for questioning in relation to a serious vigilante-type attack on a man in Castleisland in December. There is a widespread belief in the area that people associated with Sinn Féin are behind the so-called Concerned Parents Against Drugs group which said it carried out the attack. Mr Ferris and Sinn Féin have strongly denied any links to the incident.
The main political parties yesterday declined to comment on the arrest of Mr Ferris, who is challenging strongly to take one of Fianna Fáil's Dáil seats in Kerry North.
While all the main parties would like to see Mr Ferris's Dáil prospects damaged, some figures in these parties privately expressed concern that the arrest could rebound to his advantage unless it was shown to have been justified.
The Sinn Féin TD, Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, called the arrest "a gross interference in the democratic process". He said there had been "an orchestrated campaign of vilification" against Sinn Féin by some political opponents and by sections of the media, much of it focused on north Kerry.
"It is no coincidence," he added, "that this is one of the constituencies where Sinn Féin is challenging the main Government party, Fianna Fáil, for a Dáil seat.
"The arrest of our North Kerry candidate must be seen in that context. I regard it as a gross interference in the democratic process."
Mr Ferris's arrest brings to 10 the number of men arrested in connection with the abduction and beating of a man near Castleisland on December 7th. In an interview with the Kerryman days later, the abduction was claimed by the self-styled Concerned Parents Against Drugs group. The man was bundled into the back of his own car, driven to an isolated area at Lyreacrompane outside the town and beaten. The group also claimed to have seized €15,000 worth of cannabis resin from the man before burning out his car about two miles away.
Mr Ferris's election agent was arrested in connection with the incident last week but was later released.
The former Labour leader, Mr Dick Spring, and the Fine Gael TD for the constituency, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, have both alleged that Sinn Féin was connected with the attack in Castleisland.
• Paul Tanney in Belfast writes:
Mr Martin McGuinness has also described Mr Ferris's arrest as an attack on the democratic process. Mr McGuinness said he had contacted the Taoiseach's office about the arrest "in forthright terms".
"I think this is a disgrace. I think this is almost akin to what has been happening in Zimbabwe. I think people who call themselves democrats should be recognising that this is a very deliberate attempt, a political decision in my view, to interfere with the democratic process in North Kerry," he said.
Mr McGuinness described Mr Ferris as "a stalwart supporter of the peace process [who] should be allowed to get on with his work.
"In my view there is no prospect whatsoever of any case being made against Martin Ferris. He has worked in co-operation with the gardaí in north Kerry. He and many Sinn Féin people throughout the island have been to the forefront in standing up to the drug barons and drug-pushers in our society," he said.