Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is due to meet the family of Derry stabbing victim Jimmy McGinley tomorrow. The family claims the killer is a member of the IRA and should be expelled from the paramilitary organisation.
The McGinleys, like the McCartney family in Belfast, claim they were subjected to IRA intimidation during the recent trial of his killer, Bart Fisher (43), who in February was sentenced to three years in prison on a manslaughter charge.
The family was outraged at the sentence and last month at a vigil and prayer service in Derry launched a "Justice for Jimmy" campaign.
James McGinley (23) died from a single knife wound to the heart outside Fisher's Sackville Court home in Derry on October 2003.
The family demanded the IRA acknowledge Fisher as a member and expel him from the organisation. It said it was "bullied" during Fisher's court case and that the IRA tried to dictate which members of the family could attend the hearing.
The family decided to go public on the killing after the McCartney sisters and Robert McCartney's fiancée Bridgeen embarked on their campaign to have Robert's killers tried in court.
Mr Adams has decided to hear the family's complaints in person. A meeting is likely to take place tomorrow between Mr Adams and the family, a Sinn Féin spokesman said yesterday.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Assembly member for South Belfast Alex Maskey has accused the SDLP of "manipulating the murder of Robert McCartney in a despicable pre-election campaign".
Mr Maskey added that he served writs on the SDLP deputy leader Dr Alisdair McDonnell and the SDLP after they issued statements about him.
"The Sinn Féin position surrounding the murder of Robert McCartney is very clear. Sinn Féin support and continue to support the McCartney family in their campaign for truth and justice.
"However others, and in particular the SDLP, have sought to manipulate the murder of Robert McCartney in what can only be described as a despicable pre-election campaign," said Mr Maskey.
No one has been charged in connection with Mr McCartney's murder, although PSNI detectives were questioning a man about the murder last night.
It is understood the man being questioned comes from the Markets area of Belfast.
Speaking of the arrest, Catherine McCartney said last night: "We expected this to happen and we think it's part of the strategy to trivialise the charges. We know what they [ the IRA] are at."
Sinn Féin has suspended seven of its members while the police investigation takes place.
