Money 'linked to Northern raid'

Michael McDowell is satisfied the money is linked to the Northern raid

The Irish justice minister has said he is satisfied money confiscated in Cork was linked to the £26.5m Northern Bank robbery in Belfast earlier this year.

Speaking on Irish state broadcaster RTE, Michael McDowell also refused to accept Thomas "Slab" Murphy's denial of involvement in money laundering.

He also said Mr Murphy was on the IRA's army council and was chief of staff.

Last week, Mr Murphy denied allegations linking him to a company at the centre of a probe into IRA money laundering.

Offices belonging to Craven Property were raided by the Assets Recovery Agency on 6 October as part of its investigations into alleged IRA links to 250 Manchester properties valued at about £9m.

In his statement, Mr Murphy said being linked to the raids had caused him and his family "distress".

Thomas Murphy is alleged to be a senior IRA leader

However, he made no comment on the widespread accusation that he is the chief of staff of the IRA.

Mr Murphy said he did not own any property and made his living from farming. He also denied any connection with the Craven Property Group.

He said that he had to sell his own home after losing a libel case to the Sunday Times.

This was in 1998, after challenging the newspaper's description of him as a prominent IRA member.

Manchester businessman Dermot Craven, whose company premises were raided during the agency's investigation, has denied having any dealings with "Slab" Murphy, but said he had done business with Murphy's brother, Frank.

He has also denied involvement in any illegal activity.

Documents were seized in the Manchester searches, which took place 10 days after the IRA put its weapons beyond use and on the day Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams met Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street.