Sinn Féin leader Martin McGuinness has accused the PSNI chief constable of operating a "cover up" policy by not releasing files on controversial killings to inquests.
Mr McGuinness said Hugh Orde is adding to the grief of republicans and nationalists who were killed in controversial circumstances by delaying the inquest process.
"In the course of recent years Hugh Orde has adopted a policy of concealment and
cover-up with regard to co-operating with inquests into the controversial killings of a number of nationalists and republicans. Some of these people were killed directly by British State forces others by their surrogates in the loyalist gangs.
"Hugh Orde is deliberately and quite consciously denying these families their right to the truth by continuing to withhold files and preventing inquests proceeding in an open and transparent manner. This is unacceptable," he said.
The Deputy First Minister called for an immediate change to PSNI policy in relation to inquests.
"Sinn Féin have raised this issue both with Mr Orde and the British Government. Quite simply this policy has to change. Sinn Féin will continue to support these families in their search for the truth. But people should be under no illusion where the problem lies. It lies directly with Hugh Orde, he has the power to release these files and finally fulfil his obligations to the Inquest process," he said.
