DISSIDENT REMANDED OVER EXTRADITION TO LITHUANIA
Dissident remanded over extradition to Lithuania
By Barry McCaffrey
A LEADING dissident republican suspected of being involved in the Omagh bomb must remain in Northern Ireland to face extradition proceedings to Lithuania where he is wanted in connection with a Real IRA weapons smuggling plot.
Alleged Real IRA leader Liam Campbell, pictured, was arrested by police last month as he left his wife to work in the south Armagh village of Bessbrook.
The 46-year-old from Upper Faughart in Dundalk was questioned for four days in connection with the Real IRA bomb attack on Omagh town centre in August 1998, which killed 29 people and two unborn children.
He was released without charge on May 26 but was immediately rearrested and served with a warrant to extradite him to Lithuania where he is sought in connection with a Real IRA weapons smuggling plot.
Campbell's lawyers opposed extradition from Northern Ireland, arguing that Campbell was already facing identical proceedings in the Republic. Belfast Recorder Tom Burgess was asked to decide if Campbell should be returned to Dublin, where proceedings were five months in advance, or whether fresh extradition proceedings should be initiated in Northern Ireland. Mr Burgess accepted that the case against Campbell was unusual but said there was no reason why the extradition process should not take place in Northern Ireland following Campbell's decision to enter that jurisdiction.
"The judicial authority issuing this warrant sent it to Northern Ireland and to the Republic of Ireland at or about the same time, in circumstances where they would have had no control over, or knowledge of, within which jurisdiction it may be executed.
"In the event of January of this year the warrant was executed in the Republic of Ireland and matters would have rested there if Campbell had remained in that jurisdiction.
"He chose of his own free will to come to this jurisdiction and the PSNI arrested him under the warrant."
Dismissing Campbell's claims that the initial PSNI decision to arrest him was part of a stalling tactic to allow extradition papers to be prepared in Northern Ireland, Mr Burgess said: "I find no reason to impart to the PSNI any bad faith or abuse of their powers.
"They were arresting someone under an instrument duly issued by a judicial authority in a Part 1 Territory (European Union).
"That judicial authority (Lithuania) has advised that it wishes the matter to proceed in this jurisdiction."
Last month a landmark civil action taken by Omagh relatives found that Campbell had been a leading figure in the Real IRA and the main planner of the Omagh bomb.
Campbell was remanded in custody until Friday when he will apply for bail.
By Barry McCaffrey
A LEADING dissident republican suspected of being involved in the Omagh bomb must remain in Northern Ireland to face extradition proceedings to Lithuania where he is wanted in connection with a Real IRA weapons smuggling plot.
Alleged Real IRA leader Liam Campbell, pictured, was arrested by police last month as he left his wife to work in the south Armagh village of Bessbrook.
The 46-year-old from Upper Faughart in Dundalk was questioned for four days in connection with the Real IRA bomb attack on Omagh town centre in August 1998, which killed 29 people and two unborn children.
He was released without charge on May 26 but was immediately rearrested and served with a warrant to extradite him to Lithuania where he is sought in connection with a Real IRA weapons smuggling plot.
Campbell's lawyers opposed extradition from Northern Ireland, arguing that Campbell was already facing identical proceedings in the Republic. Belfast Recorder Tom Burgess was asked to decide if Campbell should be returned to Dublin, where proceedings were five months in advance, or whether fresh extradition proceedings should be initiated in Northern Ireland. Mr Burgess accepted that the case against Campbell was unusual but said there was no reason why the extradition process should not take place in Northern Ireland following Campbell's decision to enter that jurisdiction.
"The judicial authority issuing this warrant sent it to Northern Ireland and to the Republic of Ireland at or about the same time, in circumstances where they would have had no control over, or knowledge of, within which jurisdiction it may be executed.
"In the event of January of this year the warrant was executed in the Republic of Ireland and matters would have rested there if Campbell had remained in that jurisdiction.
"He chose of his own free will to come to this jurisdiction and the PSNI arrested him under the warrant."
Dismissing Campbell's claims that the initial PSNI decision to arrest him was part of a stalling tactic to allow extradition papers to be prepared in Northern Ireland, Mr Burgess said: "I find no reason to impart to the PSNI any bad faith or abuse of their powers.
"They were arresting someone under an instrument duly issued by a judicial authority in a Part 1 Territory (European Union).
"That judicial authority (Lithuania) has advised that it wishes the matter to proceed in this jurisdiction."
Last month a landmark civil action taken by Omagh relatives found that Campbell had been a leading figure in the Real IRA and the main planner of the Omagh bomb.
Campbell was remanded in custody until Friday when he will apply for bail.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/1007
Published Date: 09-Jul-09
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