DELAY IN ARMS EXTRADITION CASE
Delay in arms extradition case
A LEADING dissident republican will have to wait until next year to discover if he is to be extradited to face arms smuggling charges in Lithuania.
Liam Campbell, one of the men held responsible for the Omagh bomb atrocity, was due to have his case heard at Belfast Recorder's Court this week. But it has now been delayed until an expert on European prison inspections is available.
Rod Morgan, an advisor to Amnesty International and the Council of Europe on the prevention of torture and custodial issues, is due to give evidence at the extradition proceedings.
However, legal sources disclosed that he may not be able to attend until next February.
Campbell, from Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth, has been in custody since he was arrested after crossing the border into south Armagh in May.
A month later the 46-year-old was held to be liable, along with three other men, for the Omagh bombing following a landmark civil action brought by relatives of some of those killed in the August 1998 explosion.
Mr Justice Morgan, now the Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, found cogent evidence that Campbell was a member of the Real IRA's Army Council.
He is wanted in Lithuania over an alleged operation to acquire guns, ammunition and explosives from there and ship them into Ireland for the terror grouping.
Although proceedings were already underway in the Republic, a fresh application was launched following his detention north of the border.
Judge Tom Burgess, the Recorder for Belfast, ruled that the extradition hearing should be held in Northern Ireland because Lithuania wanted the case to be heard in Britain.
Campbell's lawyers have since failed in a bid to judicially review that decision and been refused permission to challenge it at the Supreme Court in London.
A LEADING dissident republican will have to wait until next year to discover if he is to be extradited to face arms smuggling charges in Lithuania.
Liam Campbell, one of the men held responsible for the Omagh bomb atrocity, was due to have his case heard at Belfast Recorder's Court this week. But it has now been delayed until an expert on European prison inspections is available.
Rod Morgan, an advisor to Amnesty International and the Council of Europe on the prevention of torture and custodial issues, is due to give evidence at the extradition proceedings.
However, legal sources disclosed that he may not be able to attend until next February.
Campbell, from Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth, has been in custody since he was arrested after crossing the border into south Armagh in May.
A month later the 46-year-old was held to be liable, along with three other men, for the Omagh bombing following a landmark civil action brought by relatives of some of those killed in the August 1998 explosion.
Mr Justice Morgan, now the Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, found cogent evidence that Campbell was a member of the Real IRA's Army Council.
He is wanted in Lithuania over an alleged operation to acquire guns, ammunition and explosives from there and ship them into Ireland for the terror grouping.
Although proceedings were already underway in the Republic, a fresh application was launched following his detention north of the border.
Judge Tom Burgess, the Recorder for Belfast, ruled that the extradition hearing should be held in Northern Ireland because Lithuania wanted the case to be heard in Britain.
Campbell's lawyers have since failed in a bid to judicially review that decision and been refused permission to challenge it at the Supreme Court in London.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/1022
Published Date: 04-Dec-09
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