Mc Kevitt defence not ready for trial

A lawyer for Michael Mc Kevitt, the alleged leader of the Real IRA, told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today that he did not believe the defence will be ready to go ahead with his trial in June.

Mr James Mc Guill, Mc Kevitt's solicitor, told the court that the defence wanted to make an application for further documentation which is critical to the preparation of his defence.

Last December the court provisionally fixed June 4th next as the date for Mc Kevitt's trial which is expected to last at least four weeks.

Mr Mc Guill said today that the defence will lodge an affidavit concerning the application for disclosure within the next two weeks. He told the court he did not believe the defence would be ready to meet the case in June.

The court remanded Mc Kevitt in continuing custody until February 27th when the case will be mentioned again and it fixed April 30th as the date for hearing the defence application for disclosure.

The court was told earlier that the defence has already been furnished with over 2,000 e mails relating to the case by the prosecution.

The court was also told at an earlier hearing that the main prosecution witness is Mr David Rupert, who worked for the FBI and British intelligence, and that he was observed by gardai meeting Michael Mc Kevitt on a number of occasions. The court also heard that he successfully infiltrated the Real IRA leadership and attended their Army Council meetings.

The court has also heard that Mc Kevitt allegedly met Mr Rupert over a two year period and asked him to acquire equipment for the dissident republicans.

Michael Mc Kevitt, 51, of Beech Park, Blackrock, Dundalk, Co Louth is charged that between August 29th, 1999 and March 28th, 2001, within the State, he was a member of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann and that he directed the activities of the same organisation.

It is the first prosecution for directing terrorism under new legislation brought in after the 1998 Omagh bombing and anyone convicted of the offence faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.