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Political trial runs into trouble in Green Street

From Saoirse.

The show trial of eight Republican Sinn Féin members at the Special non-jury Court in Dublin has been a four-week farce (as we went to press) that would have collapsed if it was not for the political nature of the whole exercise. So far we have seen:

• The case against Matt Conway, Republican Sinn Féin Ard-Chomhairle member, collapse on January 15 after Chief-Supt Seán Feeley of the 26-County police told the court that he believed Matt Conway was a member of "an unlawful organization" on December 19, 2001. The charge of IRA membership against him specified membership on December 17, 2001. His defence counsel, Gerard O'Brien, immediately applied for the court to find his client not guilty and Matt Conway walked free from the court. One of the judges said that the policeman had "torpedoed" the State's case.
• The 26-County police revealed that around 30 of their members were involved in the raid on the Limerick house where the Republican Sinn Féin meeting was taking place. This is the same force that it is claimed has not got the resources to tackle the long-running family feud in the city that resulted in the death of one man during the past month.
• Chief-Supt Gerard Kelly denied a defence counsel's suggestion that the raid on the meeting was "a Keystone Cops" operation. He said that he had a "secret service" fund available to pay informers but he had not paid out any moneys to an informer whose identity he did not know.
• Chief-Supt Kelly denied he leaked information to the media about a planned robbery at the time of the raid. The spurious reports about a 'Euro' robbery appeared in the local and national media at the time of the arrests and undoubtedly originated from the 26-County police.
• Det-Segt John Heelan, the leader of the raiders, denied on January 29 that shots were fired by them before entering the house. The defence counsel put it to him that up to six shots were fired before the front door of the house was smashed in.
• The 26-County police evidence was that they had been watching the house continuously on the day of the raid. Yet they stated they did not see two men leave the house before the raid took place. They also did not see one of the Republican Sinn Féin members charged, Ger Brommell, leave the house on two occasions before the raid took place.
• On February 4, the fifteenth day of the trial, Det-Segt Mulcahy admitted that 26-County forensic experts made "additional marks" on a piece of paper allegedly found in the house by the raiders. He claimed the "marks" were not made on the note at the time it was allegedly found in the house. He also admitted no firearms were found in the house.

The trial could continue for another 4-8 weeks if the case does not collapse before that. The cost to the taxpayer will run into hundreds of thousands of euros but whichever course it takes it has already been exposed as an attempt by the 26-County State to harass and disrupt Republican Sinn Féin from political campaigning. The embarrassing nature of the trial for the 26-County State is reflected in the fact that apart from the opening day and the collapse of the case against Matt Conway, the main Dublin newspapers have carried no reports of its proceedings.

Last update: 2/27/03; 5:07:23 AM.