9COURT HEARS MCKEVITT SPOKE OF BOMBING WITH MAIN WITNESS IN THE CASE
Court hears McKevitt spoke of bombing with main witness in the case
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
MICHAEL McKevitt's pre-trial hearing got underway this week. The Special Criminal Court in Dublin held a special hearing to look at legal issues pertaining to the trial.
At the outset, the court heard that the 1998 Omagh bomb attack was carried out jointly by the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA. The description came from Michael McKevitt, 51, the first man to be charged in the Republic with "directing terrorist activities".
The charge has been brought against McKevitt, said to be the leader of the Real IRA, under the terms of legislation introduced in Dublin after the Omagh attack. He is also charged with being a member of an illegal organisation.
The court heard that McKevitt talked of the bombing at a series of meetings he had with US citizen David Rupert, formerly a resident of Bundoran, who is set to be the main witness for the prosecution in the trial early next year.
At another of the meetings, McKevitt was said by prosecuting counsel George Birmingham to have spoken about an unspecified incident that would "overshadow" Omagh. On another occasion, he referred to a former member of the French Foreign Legion named as James Smith from Massachusetts and said: "If you wanted to have Tony Blair assassinated he is your man."
McKevitt was alleged to have told a meeting attended by Mr Rupert that the Omagh bomb was fused by the Real IRA but that the target had been selected by the Continuity IRA.
This week's proceedings in the Special Criminal Court dealt with the preliminary hearing in connection with the disclosure of documents relating to the case from the prosecution to McKevitt's defence lawyers.
Among those in the no-jury court prepared to give evidence was the British Ambassador to Ireland Sir Ivor Roberts, marking the first courtroom development of its kind to involve an envoy based in Dublin.
Also there were two official witnesses from the United States, the assistant director of the counter-terrorism section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an FBI field officer.
McKevitt, balding, wearing glasses and carrying a notebook and a pen blew a kiss towards his wife Bernadette Sands McKevitt sister of the late IRA MP Bobby Sands who died on hunger strike in 1981as he was led into the court.
He was immediately greeted by an intervention from Laurence Rush whose wife Elizabeth died at Omagh.
Mr Rush shouted: "My name is Laurence Rush. I will see you get justice for murdering my wife."
Ironically Mr Rush then went to sit in the gallery of the court, close to Bernadette Sands McKevitt.
Defence counsel Hugh Hartnett made it clear that major questions would be raised over the credibility of the chief witness David Rupert against his client.
He referred to investigations made against Rupert over allegations of smuggling drugs in the United States and said there had to be real questions over his entire credibility.
Outlining the case, Mr Birmingham said Mr Rupert had first come to Ireland in 1992 when his then girlfriend, who accompanied him, was a political activist from Florida with a strong Irish nationalist interest.
He had subsequently met senior members of the Republican Sinn Fein political party and its military wing the Continuity IRA.
When the Irish police learned of his presence they contacted the FBI and as a result Mr Rupert was later approached by both that agency to work for them and the Irish police and was also asked to work on behalf of the British Intelligence services.
Mr Rupert had indicated that he was willing to do so.
He subsequently attended a number of meetings with McKevitt and ruling army council members of the Continuity IRA during which a number of incidents, including Omagh, attacks in Northern Ireland and the bombing of Hammersmith in London, had been discussed.
BY ROSETTA DONNELLY
MICHAEL McKevitt's pre-trial hearing got underway this week. The Special Criminal Court in Dublin held a special hearing to look at legal issues pertaining to the trial.
At the outset, the court heard that the 1998 Omagh bomb attack was carried out jointly by the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA. The description came from Michael McKevitt, 51, the first man to be charged in the Republic with "directing terrorist activities".
The charge has been brought against McKevitt, said to be the leader of the Real IRA, under the terms of legislation introduced in Dublin after the Omagh attack. He is also charged with being a member of an illegal organisation.
The court heard that McKevitt talked of the bombing at a series of meetings he had with US citizen David Rupert, formerly a resident of Bundoran, who is set to be the main witness for the prosecution in the trial early next year.
At another of the meetings, McKevitt was said by prosecuting counsel George Birmingham to have spoken about an unspecified incident that would "overshadow" Omagh. On another occasion, he referred to a former member of the French Foreign Legion named as James Smith from Massachusetts and said: "If you wanted to have Tony Blair assassinated he is your man."
McKevitt was alleged to have told a meeting attended by Mr Rupert that the Omagh bomb was fused by the Real IRA but that the target had been selected by the Continuity IRA.
This week's proceedings in the Special Criminal Court dealt with the preliminary hearing in connection with the disclosure of documents relating to the case from the prosecution to McKevitt's defence lawyers.
Among those in the no-jury court prepared to give evidence was the British Ambassador to Ireland Sir Ivor Roberts, marking the first courtroom development of its kind to involve an envoy based in Dublin.
Also there were two official witnesses from the United States, the assistant director of the counter-terrorism section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an FBI field officer.
McKevitt, balding, wearing glasses and carrying a notebook and a pen blew a kiss towards his wife Bernadette Sands McKevitt sister of the late IRA MP Bobby Sands who died on hunger strike in 1981as he was led into the court.
He was immediately greeted by an intervention from Laurence Rush whose wife Elizabeth died at Omagh.
Mr Rush shouted: "My name is Laurence Rush. I will see you get justice for murdering my wife."
Ironically Mr Rush then went to sit in the gallery of the court, close to Bernadette Sands McKevitt.
Defence counsel Hugh Hartnett made it clear that major questions would be raised over the credibility of the chief witness David Rupert against his client.
He referred to investigations made against Rupert over allegations of smuggling drugs in the United States and said there had to be real questions over his entire credibility.
Outlining the case, Mr Birmingham said Mr Rupert had first come to Ireland in 1992 when his then girlfriend, who accompanied him, was a political activist from Florida with a strong Irish nationalist interest.
He had subsequently met senior members of the Republican Sinn Fein political party and its military wing the Continuity IRA.
When the Irish police learned of his presence they contacted the FBI and as a result Mr Rupert was later approached by both that agency to work for them and the Irish police and was also asked to work on behalf of the British Intelligence services.
Mr Rupert had indicated that he was willing to do so.
He subsequently attended a number of meetings with McKevitt and ruling army council members of the Continuity IRA during which a number of incidents, including Omagh, attacks in Northern Ireland and the bombing of Hammersmith in London, had been discussed.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1108
Published Date: 10-Oct-02
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