VETERAN republican Martin Galvin has criticised comments by Martin McGuinness following a BBC Spotlight programme on claims the IRA murdered former Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson.
In an interview on Wednesday, the Deputy First Minister dismissed the programme, which also heard allegations that party leader Gerry Adams would have sanctioned the MI5 agent's 2006 killing.
Mr McGuinness referred in his comments to "someone from America who is very ill-disposed towards Sinn Féin and the peace process".
However, Mr Galvin, who was the only American featured on the programme, last night insisted he had no agenda.
"It is sad that in answering accusations from Spotlight on Gerry Adams, he would feel it right to slur me even though I played no part in making those accusations," he said.
"I have no political agenda against Sinn Féin or against peace. I am an Irish republican and make no apology for wanting an end of British rule and a united Ireland along the principles of 1916.
"I will never be against the party itself but against party policies which seem to be manipulated by the British to cement partition, the same way Denis Bradley claimed (on the Spotlight programme) the IRA was influenced by agents."
Mr Galvin, an Irish American lawyer and former director of US group Noraid, which was accused of raising funds for the IRA, told Spotlight he had suspected Mr Donaldson was an informer.
In a statement he said he "warned a very senior republican of Denis's actions on multiple occasions".
Mr Galvin added that he defied a ban on entering the north in the 1980s "at the request of the republican movement" and stood alongside Mr McGuinness.
He said he is due to give a lecture in Derry next month and would welcome the opportunity to speak to the Sinn Fein MLA.
