US SPY 'MAY NOT TESTIFY IN OMAGH CIVIL CASE'
US spy 'may not testify in Omagh civil case'
AN AMERICAN 'superspy' who infiltrated the Real IRA may not be giving evidence in a multi-million pound compensation case being brought by families of those killed and injured in the 1998 Omagh bomb.
David Rupert, a trucking company boss turned double agent, is living in hiding under an FBI witness protection programme.
He was due to give evidence from America, via video link, in the S14 million civil case taken by the families of Omagh victims.
However, the High Court in Belfast was told yesterday that the FBI is no longer willing to cooperate due to the perceived risk both to Mr Rupert's security and his health.
A total of 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed when a Real IRA bomb devastated Omagh in August 1998. The five men being sued are Michael McKevitt (55) from Blackrock in Co Louth, Colm Murphy (55) from Ravensdale in Dundalk, Liam Campbell (42) from Mount Pleasant in Dundalk, Seamus Daly (37) from Culloville in Co Monaghan, and Seamus McKenna (53) from Silverbridge in Co Armagh.
McKevitt is serving a 20-year sentence in Portlaoise jail for running the Real IRA, after Mr Rupert gave evidence at Dublin's Special
Criminal Court.
The spy was also due to give evidence in the compensation case via video link after it was argued attendance at the hearing in Belfast
would put his life at risk.
However, during a preliminary issues hearing into the case yesterday, Lord Brennan QC - who is representing the Omagh families - told
Mr Justice Morgan: "We wanted Mr Rupert to give evidence via video link but the FBI have refused to co-operate in that regard.
"Our understanding is that the FBI have reached this stage in relation to this man's security and health.
"He is in a protective arrangement of some type in America."
Saying Mr Rupert's evidence was "of central importance" in the case against McKevitt and Campbell, Lord Brennan revealed his legal team "have sought and will continue to seek confirmation" on the situation.
"We have no control over this matter and it is a source of extreme concern to our clients,"he said.
Expressing his surprise, Mr Justice Morgan said the court had been "busying away in making technical arrangements to ensure Mr Rupert could be accommodated".
AN AMERICAN 'superspy' who infiltrated the Real IRA may not be giving evidence in a multi-million pound compensation case being brought by families of those killed and injured in the 1998 Omagh bomb.
David Rupert, a trucking company boss turned double agent, is living in hiding under an FBI witness protection programme.
He was due to give evidence from America, via video link, in the S14 million civil case taken by the families of Omagh victims.
However, the High Court in Belfast was told yesterday that the FBI is no longer willing to cooperate due to the perceived risk both to Mr Rupert's security and his health.
A total of 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed when a Real IRA bomb devastated Omagh in August 1998. The five men being sued are Michael McKevitt (55) from Blackrock in Co Louth, Colm Murphy (55) from Ravensdale in Dundalk, Liam Campbell (42) from Mount Pleasant in Dundalk, Seamus Daly (37) from Culloville in Co Monaghan, and Seamus McKenna (53) from Silverbridge in Co Armagh.
McKevitt is serving a 20-year sentence in Portlaoise jail for running the Real IRA, after Mr Rupert gave evidence at Dublin's Special
Criminal Court.
The spy was also due to give evidence in the compensation case via video link after it was argued attendance at the hearing in Belfast
would put his life at risk.
However, during a preliminary issues hearing into the case yesterday, Lord Brennan QC - who is representing the Omagh families - told
Mr Justice Morgan: "We wanted Mr Rupert to give evidence via video link but the FBI have refused to co-operate in that regard.
"Our understanding is that the FBI have reached this stage in relation to this man's security and health.
"He is in a protective arrangement of some type in America."
Saying Mr Rupert's evidence was "of central importance" in the case against McKevitt and Campbell, Lord Brennan revealed his legal team "have sought and will continue to seek confirmation" on the situation.
"We have no control over this matter and it is a source of extreme concern to our clients,"he said.
Expressing his surprise, Mr Justice Morgan said the court had been "busying away in making technical arrangements to ensure Mr Rupert could be accommodated".
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0836
Published Date: 13-Mar-07
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.