The former head of Special Branch in Belfast has said he believes he was forced out of his job by MI5 because he was too keen to investigate allegations of a Provisional IRA spy-ring at the heart of government.
Mr Billy Lowry took early retirement in controversial circumstances two months ago. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday, he said he believed his willingness to pursue the Provisional IRA's alleged involvement in intelligence-gathering in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) led to his removal.
The allegations of espionage at Stormont led to the suspension of the North's Executive and Assembly in October. Mr Lowry said throughout his investigation, he felt under "constant pressure" from the security services that his officers should just seize documents, not make arrests.
The message from the intelligence services appeared to be that "it would be better if we didn't take skulls, if we just take papers". This would leave Sinn Féin and the Provisional IRA "a chance of denying they were involved in the alleged intelligence-gathering".
Mr Lowry left the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as the Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, ordered an investigation into leaks to the media on the alleged Provisional IRA espionage.
Mr Lowry said he was accused of disclosing information to the media and was also told he was being transferred from his position. The disciplinary charge against him was later withdrawn and he accepted the offer of early retirement last November.
Mr Lowry said Mr Orde had known about a briefing he had given to the BBC and that the PSNI's director of media and public relations, Mr Austen Hunter, had been present at the briefing.
He denied that any information he had given had put the police investigation in jeopardy. Mr Lowry said he believed that, after the arrest of republican suspects during the PSNI operation, the security services had told Mr Orde, during a telephone conversation from London, that they could no longer work with him (Mr Lowry).
"I'm told the Chief \ then, in a conversation with other officers, said 'We have to get rid of him, he will have to go.' " Mr Orde has vehemently denied that political pressure played a part in Mr Lowry's early retirement.
A PSNI spokesman yesterday declined to comment on Mr Lowry's allegations. Mr Lowry is demanding a special investigator be appointed to inquire into his allegations. He has made his request in a letter to the North's Policing Board.
The Police Ombudsman, Ms Nuala O'Loan, has also been asked to investigate the matter but she passed the complaint back to the board because Mr Lowry was a serving police officer, and not an ordinary member of the public, at the time of the allegations.
Unionist politicians have supported Mr Lowry. DUP Policing Board member Mr Sammy Wilson yesterday said his complaint was so serious it deserved a public inquiry. He said the board could ask a police officer from another force to investigate the matter.
Sinn Fein said nationalists would not "place too much weight" on Mr Lowry's allegations.