Stephen Farry said: “It is clearly very worrying and significant that the police have said they are following a definite line of inquiry relating to people who may be members of the Provisional IRA.
“The police must be given the freedom to investigate the murder of Kevin McGuigan and to follow the evidence in a purely objective manner, independent of any political considerations. This applies in turn to the wider criminal justice system. In particular, anyone with any relevant information has a duty to provide that to the lawful authorities.
“It is important that further clarity is provided as soon as possible, based on evidence and solid intelligence rather than speculation, regarding the nature of any organisational involvement and direction.
“At this stage, it is wrong for some to blindly deny any involvement of PIRA, and it is wrong for people to jump to conclusions as to what this inevitably means for the political structures.
“Alliance is very clear that the integrity of the current political process is predicated on the complete disassociation of all participants from any form of violence, and full support for policing and the rule of law. The days when ‘blind eyes’ were turned to certain types of paramilitary violence must be long gone.”