The chairman of the Quinn family support group in Cullyhanna, south Armagh, last night accused local Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy of trying to create a "smokescreen" to divert attention from the IRA's alleged involvement in Paul Quinn's murder.
Jim McAllister was responding to a statement from Mr Murphy expressing disappointment that Mr McAllister and the Quinn support group were not doing enough to "end death threats and attacks" on a local man. Mr McAllister in turn claimed known IRA members had been issuing "death threats" against local people sympathetic to the Quinn family.
Mr Murphy issued his broadside against Mr McAllister, a disaffected Sinn Féin member, and the Quinn support group, as a crowd of about 200 people gathered in the Cullyhanna community centre last night to discuss how it should respond to last month's killing.
Paul Quinn's father Stephen said he was very impressed at the local show of solidarity. "I hope people will get more and more behind us now and flush out whoever done this deed on Paul", he said.
Earlier this month Ulster Unionist peer Lord Laird, using Westminster parliamentary privilege, claimed Vincent Treanor was implicated in 21-year- old Mr Quinn's murder in a barn near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. Mr Treanor denied the claim. He acknowledged he had been involved in an altercation with Mr Quinn but denied any involvement his killing, adding that he had never been in the IRA. He said his life was now in danger because of the allegation and that his home had come under repeated attacks.
Mr Murphy yesterday evening called on Mr McAllister and the Quinn support group to "take decisive action" to end the campaign of "violence and intimidation" against Mr Treanor.
He said people associated with the Quinn group had falsely accused Mr Treanor and his family of involvement in the killing.
Mr Murphy repeated his call for anyone with any information relating to the murder of Paul Quinn to bring that information forward to the Garda and PSNI.
Mr McAllister, however, rejected Mr Murphy's complaints, saying members of the group were not involved in any intimidation or attacks, and that the group condemned such actions.
He accused Mr Murphy of trying to create a "smokescreen" to distract attention from the IRA's alleged involvement in Mr Quinn's murder.
"Conor Murphy is struggling to cope with the fact that the majority of the people of south Armagh believe in their hearts the IRA murdered Paul Quinn, and that sadly their MP is trying to give them cover," said Mr McAllister.
