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Spy may not testify at Omagh bomb case
BY ASHLEIGH WALLACE

AN AMERICAN 'superspy' who infiltrated the ranks of the Real IRA may not be giving evidence in a multi-million pound compensation case brought by the families of those killed and injured in the Omagh bomb.
David Rupert, a trucking company boss turned double agent, is living in hiding under an FBI witness protection programme in the US.
He was due to give evidence from America, via video link, in a £14 million civil case taken by the Omagh victim's families. But yesterday Belfast Hieh Court was told the FBI is no longer willing to co-operate .with the procedure due to the perceived risk this would pose both to Mr Rupert's security and his health. Five men believed to have been involved in the Omagh bombing on August 15, 1998, are being sued by victims' families. They are convicted RIRA leader Michael McKevitt, 55, from Blackrock, Co Louth, Colm Murphy, 55, from Ravendale, Dundalk, who was sentenced to 14 years in the Republic in 2002 for terrorist offences, Liam Campbell, 42, from Mount Pleasant, Dundalk, Seamus Daly, 37, from Culloville, Co Monaghan and Seamus McKenna, 53, from Silverbridge, Newry.
McKevitt is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Portlaoise Jail, Dublin, having been convicted of running the Real IRA after Mr Rupert gave evidence before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Mr Rupert was due to give evidence at the Omagh compensation case by video link after it was argued attending the hearing in Belfast would out his life at risk.
During a preliminary issues hearing yesterday, Lord Brennan QC, on behalf of the Omagh families, said the FBI had refused to co-operate and Mr Rupert was "in a protective arrangement of some type in America".
He said Mr Rupert's evidence was "of central importance" and the matter was "a source of extreme concern to our clients".
Expressing surprise Mr Justice Morgan said the court had been busy making technical arrangements and he hoped the civil action will be heard later in the year.