INDEFENSIBLE
INDEFENSIBLE
By ALAN MURRAY
Relatives' fury over legal aid for Omagh bombing suspect
A NEW row is brewing over the Legal Aid Board's decision to fund one of the republicans being sued by the Omagh bomb victims' group.
For while the British Government is financing Liam Campbell's defence against the civil action, the Republic's Criminal Assets Bureau is demanding nearly one million euro (around �700,000) from the alleged terrorist for revenue offences.
Married father-of-two Campbell, 40, was last week named in the Dublin trial of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt as his number two.
The claim was made by paid FBI agent David Rupert, the star witness at McKevitt's trial.
The Omagh Victims Group says the Legal Aid Board must now review its decision to grant Campbell special status legal aid in light of the bureau's demand.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed at Omagh, said: "If the Criminal Assets Bureau thinks he should pay it a million euro, surely it must think he has assets. And it must have some knowledge of that when it's hitting him with that bill."
Mr Gallagher added: "We have two governments here who say they are going to co-operate in fighting terrorism, yet the right hand of one doesn't seem to know what the left hand of the other is doing.
"We as a group, and I'm sure the general public, are looking at this and saying: 'Was the Legal Aid Board given the wrong information by Campbell?'"
Meanwhile, Mr Gallagher is delighted at the Government's decision to contribute �800,000 towards his group's legal action against those they believe were behind the atrocity.
"It lifts an enormous burden off all our shoulders," he said.
The action is being brought against Campbell and four others, including McKevitt, who was sentenced to 20 years last week for directing terrorism.
The victims' families are seeking damages from the five men.
But Mr Gallagher says he remains disappointed that the Irish Government is demanding a 30,000 euro fee for a transcript of the McKevitt trial.
By ALAN MURRAY
Relatives' fury over legal aid for Omagh bombing suspect
A NEW row is brewing over the Legal Aid Board's decision to fund one of the republicans being sued by the Omagh bomb victims' group.
For while the British Government is financing Liam Campbell's defence against the civil action, the Republic's Criminal Assets Bureau is demanding nearly one million euro (around �700,000) from the alleged terrorist for revenue offences.
Married father-of-two Campbell, 40, was last week named in the Dublin trial of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt as his number two.
The claim was made by paid FBI agent David Rupert, the star witness at McKevitt's trial.
The Omagh Victims Group says the Legal Aid Board must now review its decision to grant Campbell special status legal aid in light of the bureau's demand.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed at Omagh, said: "If the Criminal Assets Bureau thinks he should pay it a million euro, surely it must think he has assets. And it must have some knowledge of that when it's hitting him with that bill."
Mr Gallagher added: "We have two governments here who say they are going to co-operate in fighting terrorism, yet the right hand of one doesn't seem to know what the left hand of the other is doing.
"We as a group, and I'm sure the general public, are looking at this and saying: 'Was the Legal Aid Board given the wrong information by Campbell?'"
Meanwhile, Mr Gallagher is delighted at the Government's decision to contribute �800,000 towards his group's legal action against those they believe were behind the atrocity.
"It lifts an enormous burden off all our shoulders," he said.
The action is being brought against Campbell and four others, including McKevitt, who was sentenced to 20 years last week for directing terrorism.
The victims' families are seeking damages from the five men.
But Mr Gallagher says he remains disappointed that the Irish Government is demanding a 30,000 euro fee for a transcript of the McKevitt trial.
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/154
Published Date: 10-Aug-03
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