A DUP politician has criticised the PSNI investigation into damage caused to a portrait of a former unionist lord mayor in Belfast City Hall a month ago.
The police service has yet to interview anyone in connection with the incident, which saw a portrait of former DUP Lord Mayor Wallace Browne damaged in what the PSNI is investigating as a hate crime.
The incident followed an anniversary event on October 19 for west Belfast Irish language group Glór na Móna, which was attended by a number of senior Sinn Féin figures.
The party said one of its members and assembly employees had resigned after admitting involvement in the incident, which was later revealed by the Irish News to be the son of a serving MLA.
The PSNI says its enquiries into the incident are “continuing”, but it is understood no interviews have taken place to date, and no one charged in connection with it.
North Belfast MLA Brian Kingston said it was “astonishing” that no interviews had taken place.
“Given that it is now a month since the attack on Lord Browne’s portrait and given that someone admitted his involvement at the time, it would be astonishing if the PSNI had not yet interviewed that person, both to determine his role and to ascertain whether or not others were also involved,” Mr Kingston said.
“Has he been requested to attend for interview and is there any reason why he has not attended?
“Likewise has the PSNI interviewed anyone from Glór na Móna as the organiser of the event at city hall that evening, to ascertain if they are aware of other eyewitnesses?
“On the face of it this would appear to be a straightforward investigation into what the police are treating as a hate crime, so I would have expected relevant interviews to have taken place by now.”
