Republican says raid 'political'

Mr Hughes has denied being an IRA commander

A leading South Armagh republican has told a newspaper he believes an investigation of his finances is "politically motivated."

In an interview with the Irish News Sean Gerard Hughes said a raid on his home was to distract focus from the DUP's difficulties over policing.

Earlier this week the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) took control of assets belonging to Mr Hughes.

In 2002, he was named in parliament as an IRA leader, an allegation he denied.

SOCA was granted a court order to take control of properties and bank accounts belonging to Mr Hughes of Aghadavoyle Road, Dromintee.

The agency claimed the assets came from laundering the proceeds of mortgage fraud, tax evasion and benefit fraud.

The assets frozen include eight houses in south Armagh, an apartment in south Belfast, the proceeds of the sale of three other houses in south Armagh and a number of bank accounts.

Mr Hughes told the Irish News it was "ridiculous" to suggest he controlled so many properties.

He said he has just two houses - a former Housing Executive property and a new home he had recently built on the family farm.

Murder

The agency has also taken control of assets belonging to 10 other people in the south Armagh area, including six members of the extended Hughes family, among them Mr Hughes's wife Annette.

On Tuesday, Sinn Fein MP for Newry and Armagh Conor Murphy criticised the operation saying there was "no justification" for targeting Mr Hughes and his family.

Two years ago, Ulster Unionist peer Lord Laird used parliamentary privilege in the House of Lords to allege that Hughes was one of a number of senior IRA members who authorised the murder of Paul Quinn, who was beaten to death in a remote shed in County Monaghan.

Sinn Fein has said it does not believe there was any republican involvement in that murder.

'Ruthless'

In 2002, the DUP leader Peter Robinson used parliamentary privilege to tell the House of Commons that Mr Hughes was linked to the 1996 South Quay bombing in Canary Wharf in which two people were killed.

Mr Robinson also alleged that Mr Hughes was also responsible for killing of 12 soldiers at Warrenpoint in 1979, a mortar bombing in Newry and the killing of Northern Ireland judge Maurice Gibson and his wife Cecily in 1987.

He said Mr Hughes was the most "ruthless killer and thug" in the ranks of the IRA.

Eight years ago Mr Hughes was convicted of fraudulently claiming income support and fined £1,500 after pleading guilty to two charges.

Last year he gave an oration at the funeral of IRA commander Brian Keenan.