A man is being questioned in Northern Ireland amid reports that details of police officers have been leaked to paramilitaries.
It is understood detectives searched the offices of a support group for officers injured in the Troubles. A number of computers and files were seized yesterday at the premises of the Northern Ireland Police Fund near Holywood, Co Down.
It is feared personal details of serving and retired officers may have been leaked to republican paramilitaries. The Fund holds details of hundreds of past and present officers.
A PSNI spokesman told ireland.comthat "as part of ongoing investigations into suspected criminal and terrorist offences police arrested two men yesterday."
"One man has been released pending further inquiries while a second man remains in custody." The man in custody is being held under the Terrorism Act. The spokesman confimred that a number of premises had been searched.
Fund chairman, Sir John Semple, confirmed two members of his staff had been suspended as a result of a police investigation.
"Yesterday I was advised that there are serious allegations, including financial irregularities, in respect of the Police Fund," he said.
"Two members of staff have been arrested. I understand the police investigations are at an early stage and I cannot comment further,"
He said that the two staff had been suspended in accordance with normal practice.
Following an urgent meeting to consider the situation the board of the Police Fund issued a statement but gave no indication of whether it feared officers' details had fallen into the wrong hands.
Members said their first concern was to the clients of the fund and wanted to reassure them that, as far as possible in the present situation, they were determined to provide full continuity of care and services.
They pledged to co-operate with police as the investigation progressed. In clear reference to fears of yet another security lapse, the statement added: "The police have indicated that should anything which would give cause for concern in relation to Police Fund clients emerge during the course of their investigations or at any subsequent time, they would immediately be in touch with the client concerned."
The Northern Ireland Police Fund was established in April 2002. Funded mainly by the British government, it helps injured police, injured retired officers, widows and their families.
Additional reporting PA
