PSNI intelligence officers have been accused of putting a man's safety at risk by threatening to tell republicans he was providing the police with information.
The threat was made during a secretly recorded conversation between the man and two members of the PSNI who were trying to recruit him as an informer earlier this year.
It is believed the two officers are members of the PSNI's C3 Intelligence Branch - which was formerly known as Special Branch.
The latest revelation comes just days after Police Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire launched an investigation into the activities of some officers attached to the undercover police unit amid claims that some officers are working for a suspected drug dealer on the north coast.
Now the Irish News can again lift the lid on the dark and often dangerous world of intelligence gathering and the methods used by state agencies.
In the latest recording a police officer implies that the man, whom we have called Mr X, has previously met with them and is heard telling him that it may not be in his "interests" for others to know what was said on that occasion.
During the Troubles dozens of people where shot dead by republican groups who believed they were working as informers.
It is also believed by some that suspected British agent Freddie Scappaticci - known to many as the IRA mole Stakeknife - may have set up innocent people for execution by paramilitary groups who believed they were informers.
It is understood Mr X was approached while travelling earlier this year.
After being detained an officer - who we have called Policeman 1 - attempts to strike up a conversation.
He said: "Good Holiday? Good holiday? How's things? Where's your phone? Well, it's entirely up to you as the officers had said there if you refuse to co-operate you'd be committing an offence but first of all we want to thank you for taking the time to speak with us that last time but it's entirely up to you how this conversation goes."
During the exchange Policeman 1 then makes what the man and his legal team believe were the menacing remarks.
"If you want people to know what you actually said to us that last time, it might not be in your interests," he said.
He then went to repeat the claim that the man had met police on a previous occasion.
Later another officer, known as Officer 2, suggests that Mr X previously provided his phone number to them and says "it's only a matter of time (Mr X) until they ask you to do something which is probably a step above where you are meant to be".
Policeman 1 then refers to two gun attacks on the PSNI in west and north Belfast and asks the man if "a member of your community was shot dead, how would you feel about that?
Mr X replied: "F**k you."
Policeman 1: "How would you feel about that?"
Mr X: "F**k you."
Policeman 1: "That's fine, you know, listen, it's as simple as this, it's straightforward OK, you're actually involved with an organisation that you are...I mean."
Mr X: "Am I? Am I?"
Policeman 1: "Yeah, I'll tell you something now."
Mr X: "Put the cuffs on me now."
Policeman 1: "Calm down."
Mr X: "No, I won't calm down, you want to make an accusation, where's the evidence?"
Policeman 1: "Calm down, there's no need to be getting on all aggressive."
Mr X: inaudible
Policeman 1: "I'm a lover not a fighter."
Mr X: "I don't give a f**k what you are."
Policeman 1 then claims that they have been tracking Mr X's movements.
"I don't have a problem with that... what I'm trying to say is that you were on holiday we never bothered you out on holiday... you were out in (withheld) with your girlfriend and we never bothered you then OK.
"So we actually treated you with a bit of manners, alright and a wee bit of respect cos we think you were better than that."
Policeman 2 then says: "You seemed like a decent bloke last time (Mr X).
Policeman 1: "Alright."
Policeman 2: "And we've been decent with you."
The man's solicitor Michael Brentnall said the recording “appears to be two PSNI C3 officers threatening our client that they will publicly release false information that our client provided information to the PSNI”.
“This appears to be done in order to coerce him into actually providing information” he said.
“Furthermore they make entirely unsubstantiated allegations that our client is a member of a proscribed organisation which he unreservedly refutes.”
The solicitor confirmed a complaint has been made to the Police Ombudsman.
“Such activity, specifically using the threat of death or serious injury, by proxy or otherwise, is extremely sinister and undoubtedly undermines the rule of law,” he said.
“These allegations are now also subject to a police ombudsman investigation."
The latest Police Ombudsman's investigation was launched after two members of C3 were covertly recorded claiming that police colleagues were working for a suspected major drug dealer on the north coast.
One of the officers told an alleged dealer that if he provided information about the another suspected dealer he would be protected and paid up to 15,000.
The officers even claimed suspicion could be blamed on two identified men.
