Sir Ronnie Flanagan is to stay as Chief Constable until the end of March, the North's Policing Board decided yesterday. But he will serve the additional period under a virtual gagging order.
Sir Ronnie will remain for the additional four weeks but is constrained from media responses to the Police Ombudsman and is required to ensure the full implementation of the board's recommendation in relation to the Omagh investigation.
The board decided to extend the Chief Constable's term following the casting vote from board chairman, Prof Desmond Rea. The result would have been different and Sir Ronnie would have left his post next Thursday but for the fact that SDLP member, Mr Eddie McGrady, was absent on family business.
Party political members voted along traditional lines with nationalists favouring Sir Ronnie's departure at the end of the month and unionists seeking an extension. However there was cross-community support from non-party board members for the Chief Constable to leave next week to take up his new role at the police inspectorate in England.
There was little support for the idea that Sir Ronnie remain until the first recruits to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland graduate on April 5th or until June, when it is expected that interviews for his successor will be held.
The Deputy Chief Constable, Mr Colin Cramphorn, will become acting Chief Constable on April 1st when Sir Ronnie moves on. It is understood Mr Cramphorn has expressed interests in other senior policing positions outside Northern Ireland and is expected to be interviewed for the top position with the Greater Manchester police on March 21st.
Following the board decision, Sir Ronnie confirmed he was willing to postpone his retirement for one month and he repeated he would be honoured to lead the men and women of what he had always known to be the best police service in the world.
Unionists on the board claimed the decision to ask Sir Ronnie to work an additional month would facilitate the transfer from the incumbent to the next Chief Constable. The DUP was particularly keen for him to remain.
Yesterday, Mr Ian Paisley junior said: "This will allow a smooth and seamless transition of power. It's a vote of confidence and people should accept majority rule in this instance." For the Ulster Unionists, Mr Fred Cobain said the extension would allow Sir Ronnie to tie up loose ends.
However the SDLP, which had been pressing for Sir Ronnie to quit next week, claimed he was now "a lame duck". Its policing spokesman, Mr Alex Attwood, said: "It is highly relevant that even those who voted for the Chief Constable to remain for a month laid down severe conditions on his work. Those conditions include that he should do nothing to upset the decisions made by the board over Omagh and that he should make no comments about the office of Police Ombudsman."
Sinn Féin's chief whip, Mr Alex Maskey, said: "Ronnie Flanagan is the discredited former head of both the RUC and Special Branch. What decision shows us is that the policing Board does not have the power to hold the Chief Constable to account."