RSF demands return of funds

Republican Sinn Féin have criticised the Special Branch Garda police for not releasing the proceeds of a raffle seized following the party’s annual conference in Dublin.

The party broke with (Provisional) Sinn Féin in 1986, and is asssociated with the hardline ‘Continuity IRA’.

Approximately eleven thousand euro, the total income from the party’s private member’s draw held at the conference as well as money collected at a ballad session, was taken in November from the safe of a hotel by Branchmen acting without a warrant.

The hotel staff were not given a receipt for the money, nor was it counted before being taken, said RSF spokesman Des Dalton.

“Their actions were entirely illegal,” he said.

In a further twist the Special Branch declared in a letter received recently that they had “concerns regarding the future use of the money”. and that it was their “belief” that the seized money belonged to an “illegal organisation”.

Republican Sinn Féin has refuted this. “The money illegally taken from us is the property of Republican Sinn Féin and is necessary for the effective running of our Ard Ofig and general administration as well as our normal political activities,” said Dalton.

“In 2004 we contested the 26 County local elections, this year we will be taking part in the Udaras Na Gaeltachta elections on April 2, so it is clear these funds are vitally important to RSF over the next 12 months.

“Equally clear is the determination of the Dublin Government and their political police to deny RSF and its members their democratic right to hold and express a political idea or viewpoint as set out in the UN ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.

Dalton said a ballad seesion in Offaly, held as part of efforts to offset the loss of the seized funds, had to be cancelled due to Garda intimidation of the owner of the premises.

“RSF will not be succumb to these ‘bullyboy’ tactics of a ‘police state’ nor will we be deterred from continuing to work towards securing a British withdrawal from Ireland, our determination to end the injustice of British rule in Ireland is undimmed.

“We will not cease putting before the Irish people our proposals for a free democratic, four province federal Ireland, EIRE NUA, which provides for maximum decentralisation of power from provincial to regional right down to local and community level, the only credible alternative to the failed and sectarian ‘Stormont Agreement’.”

Urgent Appeal