Man held in raid probe in court

A Newry man arrested as part of the investigation into last year's £26.5m Northern Bank raid has been in court.

Peter Kelly, 30, of Drumboniff Road, denied two charges of making and having documents or records containing information useful to terrorists.

A police officer said that a list of civil servants was found at the accused's home and workplace at the Department of Finance and Personnel.

He said the list included 3,000 police officers and 70 prison staff.

He said Mr Kelly's employers had indicated he was not authorised to hold such information.

When he was arrested Mr Kelly replied: "I refute and deny absolutely these hysterical and paranoid charges."

He added: "I would not be charged with these charges if I was a unionist."

The court was told that the list contained the names of 36,000 civil servants.

The charges relate to the period between January 2000 and 2 November 2005.

The accused, described as a skilled computer technician who was working at Rosepark House in Belfast, was remanded in custody.

Arrests

Meanwhile, a 40-year-old man being questioned in connection with the Northern robbery has been released without charge.

The man from the Waterside area of Londonderry was arrested on Tuesday.

In the last week police investigating the raid have arrested eight people.

Three of the eight have been released without charge and two others have already appeared in court.

The robbery happened at the bank's Northern Ireland headquarters at Donegall Square West just before Christmas last year.

Some money seized in County Cork last February was linked to the robbery, but virtually all of the missing millions remain unrecovered.