Sinn Féin has reinstated one of its Belfast councillors who had been suspended from the party last year following an allegation that he had exchanged inappropriate messages with a minor.
Councillor JJ Magee was suspended from the party in November due to receipt of an allegation that "inappropriate online messages were exchanged between him and a minor".
Cllr Magee strongly denied the allegations and issued a rebuttal through a law firm in Belfast.
In a statement, Sinn Féin's National Chairperson Declan Kearney MLA said: "The suspension without prejudice applied to Cllr JJ Magee has been lifted with immediate effect, and the Council Group whip has been restored.
"The investigation by the Local Government Commissioner for Standards concluded that in light of its own considerations, and decisions by both the PSNI and Social Services to take no action, there is no evidence that Cllr Magee failed to comply with the Local Government Code."
Mr Kearney added that: "Cllr JJ Magee's membership of Sinn Féin has been fully restored, and he will return to continue playing a positive role in Belfast City Council."
