POLICE have refused to apologise after Greenvale Hotel owner Michael McElhatton was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and later “de-arrested”.
Mr McElhatton, who was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter, has accused the PSNI of trying to “blacken his name”.
The 52-year-old was being questioned by police in Dungannon when he was arrested separately on suspicion of possessing a class-A drug with intent to supply. Hours later he was “de-arrested” after a “fast-track forensic examination of a suspicious package consisting of white-powder substance and tin foil” ascertained the powder to be “an innocent substance”.
It is understood the material was a cleaning product Mr McElhatton had taken home from the hotel in a plastic bag.
At a press conference in Belfast on Thursday Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray refused to apologise.
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“No, I’m not going to apologise but what I am going to do is explain and I think that is only but right,” he said.
“Everything that happened in relation to that arrest and seizure is what we normally do.”
Mr Murray said the officer who seized the item was justified in having a “reasonable suspicion” that it might have been drugs.
“It was white powder in an unmarked, unbranded clear plastic bag and around that are a number of individual tin foil pieces which are scrunched up and look like wraps so the police officer seized that and reasonably suspects – and that is the threshold in law, because we are in the time and don’t have the luxury of looking back – that these are drugs and makes a seizure,” he said.
Mr McElhatton was later bailed and might be asked to return for further questioning.
It is believed he visited relatives of the victims on Thursday night and attended a prayer service.
PSNI officer Raymond Murray does not believe Greenvale Hotel investigation has been undermined #cookstown pic.twitter.com/TEmEXLYzVf
— Connla Young (@ConnlaYoung) 21 March 2019
Mr Murray denied that police were out to damage Mr McElhatton’s reputation.
“I know there is a lot of press speculation about blackening people’s names,” he said.
“Let me be very, very clear here today. That’s not what we are about.
“What we are about is investigating the deaths of three children in a fast-moving, high-intensity investigation.
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“And actually the very fact that we moved so quickly for the forensic examination, the very fact that as soon as we got the results we expeditiously made it known to the individual and then we issued the update to the media, I think actually shows transparency.”
Mr Murray said he does not accept that what took places undermines the investigation’s credibility.
Police have come in for strong criticism over their handling of the affair.
Independent councillor Barry Monteith, who knows the victims’ families, said: “I believe this affects the credibility of the investigation.”
He said he believed the way police acted could have “major implications” which would only serve to further traumatise this community.”
On Thursday night Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy said the investigation must focus on what caused the teenagers’ deaths. He met police earlier in the day with his party’s deputy leader Michelle O’Neill.
“We challenged the police on the progress of the investigation to date and we made it clear that the investigation needs to refocus on the awful events of Sunday night,” he said.
“That police investigation must be full, thorough and comprehensive.”
