Two men who were questioned about suspected serious offences within theElectoral Office for Northern Ireland have been released on bail, policeconfirmed today.
Mr Alastair Patterson, the chief executive of the Ulster Unionist Party, andanother former electoral office employee were helping police with inquiries intoallegations of forgery, false accounting and corruption.
A police spokesman confirmed the men had been questioned about allegedoffences within the electoral office between 1996 and 2001.
Both men were arrested yesterday and released last night to return for furtherquestioning today, when they were later released on bail, the spokesman said.
"We can confirm that all those arrested in relation to this matter have beenreleased on police bail pending further inquiries and will return at a laterdate," the spokesman added.
Mr Patterson was the deputy returning officer who announced the election ofIRA hunger striker Bobby Sands as MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in 1981.
He had been due to submit the names of several party members to serve on adisciplinary committee set up to decide the fate of three rebel Ulster UnionistMPs today.
Party officers met today to evaluate the nominations of candidates to considerthe cases of Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, Mr David Burnside and the Rev Martin Smyth.
The three MPs were suspended last month by the previous disciplinary panelafter they resigned the party whip at Westminster in protest at David Trimble'shandling of the peace process.
However, the decision was overturned at Belfast High Court after a judge ruledthe suspensions breached the party's constitution.
PA