A Garda Chief Superintendent told the Special Criminal Court yesterday he believed a Co Louth farmer was a member of the "Real IRA" in October last year.
Chief Supt Michael Finnegan said he believed Mr Liam Campbell was a member of an unlawful organisation on October 3rd last year. He told Mr Campbell's counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, he was aware that Mr Campbell was a member of a group styling itself the "Real IRA". He said he was aware that a group of people had broken away from the Provisional IRA and styled itself the "Real IRA".
Chief Supt Finnegan said his belief was based on confidential information and he claimed privilege on that information.
Cross-examined by Mr O'Higgins, the chief superintendent said he was aware that different groups such as the Provisional IRA existed and he believed the "Real IRA" were a group of people who said: "We are the real thing, we are the IRA."
Mr Campbell (38), a married father of two, of Upper Faughart, Dundalk, Co Louth pleaded not guilty to being a member of an unlawful organisation on October 3rd last year.
Prosecuting counsel Mr George Birmingham SC said the case against Mr Campbell consisted of the opinion of a Garda chief superintendent, items that were found during a search of Mr Campbell's home and nine interviews carried out by garda∅ at Kells Garda station after Mr Campbell's arrest.
He said Mr Campbell had declined to answer material questions on his membership of an illegal organisation and the court was entitled under the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act of 1998 to draw inferences from that.
Mr Birmingham said a party of garda∅ from the Special Detective Unit, the Emergency Response Unit and local stations arrived at Mr Campbell's house around 6.30 a.m. on October 3rd last year with a search warrant. Mr Campbell was arrested and taken to Kells Garda station.
Garda∅ searched the house and found a mobile phone down the side of the chair in the living room and two plastic bags containing a radio, six aerials, two walkie-talkies and £2,000 sterling in cash. They also discovered an underground bunker underneath a built-in wardrobe.
In a garage garda∅ found a two-way radio and in Mr Campbell's car they found two packets of disposable gloves, two face masks, two disposable body suits and £660. They found two blue barrels in the garage similar to barrels found in IRA "hides." They also found black insulating tape similar to a type which featured in explosive devices and white plastic tubing familiar to garda∅ for its use in explosives. The trial continues.