An internal inquiry into an alleged breach of computer system security has been launched by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), it was confirmed today.
The inquiry was started after a civilian police administrative assistant appeared in court in Belfast this week, accused of obtaining personal data from the police computer system.
A PSNI spokesman confirmed that since the case on Monday an "internal preliminary inquiry has been started."
Aaron Hill (22) of Randalstown, Co Antrim was remanded in custody when he appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court. He faced three charges relating to the period between May 14th 2002 and April 13th 2007.
The first involved the alleged possession of records containing names and addresses likely to be of use to terrorists.
He was also charged with wilful misconduct in his role as an administrative assistant for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) amounting to an abuse of public trust by accessing confidential information from the PSNI computer system without reasonable excuse or justification and giving it to a third party.
The third alleged offence involved knowingly or recklessly obtaining personal data from the police computer system in contravention of the Data Protection Act.
With more than 100 people warned by police that their details could be with loyalist paramilitaries, Sinn Fein urged chief constable Sir Hugh Orde to go further than an internal investigation.
The party also pledged its leader Gerry Adams would raise the issue with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Daithi McKay, Sinn Fein's North Antrim MLA, said: "As each day goes by, another piece of this collusion jigsaw is put in place.
"Over 100 nationalists and republicans are on a UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) list. "They have been told their lives are under a significant and real threat. "The PSNI need to do a lot more than hold an internal investigation if they are to satisfy nationalist and republican concerns." He added: "We have yet to hear from Hugh Orde or any of his senior colleagues on this matter.