The East Belfast Community Initiative, which mediates on behalf of ex-combatants linked to east Belfast UVF, has responded to allegations originating from Sinn Fein that the UVF has threatened residents in a shared housing area;
“Sinn Fein, within their own comments, made clear that the PSNI did not identify the UVF when delivering these supposed threats.
“It is Sinn Fein that identified the UVF and others have jumped on this bandwagon in order to push their anti-Unionist cultural war. There is no proof that any threat was issued by the UVF and as such the genesis of this allegation stems from Sinn Fein.
“We know already that Sinn Fein and others in the ‘progressive’ pan-nationalist coalition have identified South/East Belfast as an area to be targeted in their war on unionist culture. A Sinn Fein activist has already formed a ‘residents group’, and now we have this convenient development.
“This allegation is nonsense and has no basis in reality. When assessing the purpose behind this people should simply ask who benefits from this. And it is clear who benefits- Sinn Fein and those hostile to expressions of Unionist culture.
“It is also somewhat strange that this flares up less than 48 hours after the PSNI and NCA had a showpiece event. There is clearly a felon setting element to this and more fool those who are jumping on the bandwagon.
“It was only a short time ago we had the ludicrous allegation that council workers were threatened by east Belfast UVF, that allegation fell apart under scrutiny and the East Belfast Community Initiative are entirely confident that this latest allegation will similarly fall apart.”