First files in Drumcree protest investigation to be sent to PPS

Boutcher added that a total of 23 people have now been interviewed as a result, they are known to include the First Minister Michelle O’Neill and other senior Sinn Fein politicians who were pictured blocking Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

The politicians have defended their involvement in the protests, saying they were “standing with the residents, ” with O’Neill saying it was “always the right thing to do to stand on the Garvaghy Road” and added that the party was proud of its decision to do so.

A team of 30 officers is working through more than 70 hours of footage of the protest.

Boutcher rejected a claim that the investigation is taking too long and said it is progressing at speed.

“We’re getting on with this very quickly … I can’t say whether 65 (people) is the limit.

“I know there have ben frustrations in the past about investigations that have taken a huge amount of time and felt like they were glacially slow.

“That’s not the position with this.”

Boutcher also addressed an intelligence document which emerged at a court case which found the secretary of state’s decision to ban the parade had been lawful.

The document referenced “the feelings of the Provisional IRA”.

It had been a part of a police commander’s summary of intelligence.

Boutcher said: “I have spoken to that commander and the word “feelings” did not convey his thinking at the time and it has resulted in misinterpretation and misinformation.

“A better word would have been ‘position’ or ‘the stance’ of the Provisional IRA.”

He added it was one piece of intelligence “amongst hundreds of pieces”.

Later, he insisted: “There was no decision making about Drumcree because of the feelings of one group or another.”

He said PIRA remains an illegal organisation and that a 2015 assessment stated it retained structures in a reduced form, but was not involved in targeting or attacks against the state.

“That position was reaffirmed in 2024 and remains the same today.”