NL/666

Video link for bomb 'super spy'
BY IVAN McMICHAEL

AN American "super spy" who is under a Real IRA death threat was told yesterday that he does not have to attend court to give evidence at the multi-million pound Omagh bomb compensation case.
In the High Court in Belfast, Mr Justice Morgan ruled that David Rupert, who infiltrated the dissident republican organisation, can give his evidence by video link from America where he is under FBI protection.
The judge had previously been told there would be a severe risk to Mr Rupert's life if he was to give evidence in person at the £14 million hearing.
It was claimed he was living at a secret address in the USA for his own protection as his evidence would amount of a "devastating exposure" of the RIRA.
Lord Brennan, QC, leading the Omagh claimants' legal team, said: "His photograph has been put on a website to try to obtain information about his whereabouts."
Mr Justice Morgan said that the case, brought by relatives of the 29 people killed and the scores injured in the 1998 atrocity, will start on April 16, 2007.
The defendants are the Real IRA, which carried out the bombing, and five of its alleged figureheads. The most prominent is Michael McKevitt, 56, from Blackrock, Co Louth, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Portlaoise after evidence given by double agent Rupert led to his conviction as leader of the RIRA.
The others are Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy, from Dundalk, Co Louth, Seamus Daly, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, and Seamus McKenna, Silverbirdge, south Armagh.
The hearing is expected to last at least two months.