One of three men charged over an alleged IRA spy ring which led to the collapse of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government accused police today of damaging the peace process.
Mr Ciaran Kearney (32) accused Special Branch - the PSNI's anti-terrorist intelligence unit - of an "act of political subversion" over their handling of the case, which triggered a crisis in the Northern Ireland political process.
"The allegation that I possessed documents of a secret, confidential and restrictive nature originating from the Northern Ireland Office has been withdrawn without explanation," Mr Kearney told Belfast Magistrates Court.
"Consequently the Special Branch fantasy of a Stormont spy ring is finally disproved. Special Branch collapsed the power-sharing executive and have endangered the Good Friday Agreement."
