DETECTIVES ARE investigating claims that a top dissident republican wanted over an alleged international arms smuggling plot had obtained a false British passport, it emerged yesterday.
Belfast Recorders Court heard that police were told Liam Campbell, one of the men being sued over the Omagh bomb atrocity, applied for the UK travel documents under a false name.
Details were disclosed as Campbell (46) was refused bail while a judge decides whether extradition proceedings against him should be held in the North or the Republic.
Campbell, an alleged Real IRA leader from Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth, is being sought in Lithuania over a suspected operation to acquire and ship guns, ammunition, explosives, projectors, detonators and timers from Lithuania to Ireland.
He was arrested in south Armagh last month after crossing the Border into the village of Bessbrook to take his wife to work.
Campbell was initially questioned for four days under the North’s Terrorism Act in connection with the Omagh massacre which claimed 29 lives before being released without charge. He is one of five men defending a multi-million pound civil action brought by some of those bereaved in the bombing.
Following his release, he was re-arrested under a European Arrest Warrant issued over the weapons allegations.
Recorder Judge Tom Burgess yesterday delayed a decision on whether the extradition case should be heard in Dublin – where proceedings have been ongoing for nearly six months – or switch to Belfast. He was told that a senior counsel has been instructed as part of Campbell’s attempts to have the case kept in the Republic.
The suspect’s solicitor, Peter Corrigan, told the court Campbell had complied with all conditions imposed in Dublin, and that an address with a 66-year-old man who lives alone in Newry, Co Down was available.
But Stephen Ritchie, for the Lithuanian authorities, opposed bail due to Campbell’s convictions for Real IRA membership. He added: “There is an investigation which is into the obtaining by Mr Campbell of a British, UK passport in the name of a John Campbell. The information came from the Identification and Passport Agency. Police are investigating that.” The judge refused bail.