UPDATE: Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley issues fresh statement alleging 'character assassination'

Laois TD Brian Stanley has issued a fresh statement claiming he was the subject of “a character assassination”  prior to his shock resignation from Sinn Féin at the weekend. 

The statement, which claims his rights weren’t protected and that Sinn Féin should have brought an allegation to gardaí on September 11, was issued through Vincent P Garty and Co Solicitors in Laois. 

Dep Stanley goes on to claim that the party deliberately kept the allegation from him in the early stages and a practice of Omerta was in place by some in the party over the complaint. He also claims the complaint would have prevented him from running in the General Election.  

"I welcome the fact that Sinn Féin has belatedly referred the "complaint" and matters concerning it to the Gardai. This has been advocated by me for some time, including to a senior Sinn Féin official. The party should have referred it to the Gardai once both myself and my legal representative brought certain serious matters to the attention of the "panel" on September 11th.” 

Deputy Stanley said “Mary Lou Mc Donald has stated correctly that the complaint made against me is not of a criminal nature.”

Dep Stanley said “statements by the party leadership now asserting that my rights were protected throughout this process are totally incorrect.”

He outlined the process undertaken by Sinn Féin in the lead up to his resignation. 

“This complaint, which I refute, was lodged with the party on the very first day (26 July), that the 10-day nomination process opened for members such as myself to be put forward to contest the general election. In my case this had the effect of preventing me of having any hope of contesting it as a Sinn Féin candidate for Laois.

“It was received by Sinn Féin on the 26 July and I obtained written proof of this from them. Mary Lou Mc Donald has given wrong information by stating that it was only received on the 2 August. As a matter of fact, I made her aware in person on July 29 of it and that certain information regarding it had been circulated by party members,” he stated. 

Dep Stanley said “the information had been deliberately kept from me that there was a complaint or the nature of it. An "omerto"[Sic] was in place. One middle ranking party member instructed other members that I was not to be informed of its existence. In actual fact I had to get my solicitor, six days later, to write to the party (31 July) to ascertain what was the nature of this complaint!” 

“In the intervening period ie from July 26, the process of character assassination was well underway by a certain party clique and has continued unabated since then. These facts and others mean that there has been a significant abuse of process and when it was brought to the attention of the Sinn Féin "panel" it was simply brushed aside,” he said. 

“I stand over what I stated two days ago regarding what the party refer to as an "inquiry",” Dep Stanley concluded.

The Leinster Express has forwarded the statement to Sinn Fein for comment.