Sinn Fein official 'had army chief's details'

A top Sinn Fein official at the Stormont Assembly has been held on remand after being charged with having documents likely to be of use to terrorists including the personal details of the British Army chief in Northern Ireland.

Head of administration Denis Donaldson, 52, was yesterday charged with having documents which could be useful to terrorists planning and carrying out acts of violence.

He was one of four people arrested in Belfast on Friday after a series of raids on properties as part of an investigation into IRA intelligence gathering.

Armed riot police guarded the dock and all doors into the tense and crowded Belfast courtroom yesterday as party president Gerry Adams and senior Sinn Fein members were among friends and relatives to file in for Donaldson’s first appearance before a magistrate.

Former IRA prisoner Donaldson faces five charges of having documents containing personal details of a police officer, members of the armed forces - including the general officer commanding in Northern Ireland, Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin and known loyalists.

He is also accused of having a confidential government document and a sketch of Castle buildings, Stormont, where the Good Friday Agreement was signed in April 1998.

The court heard the documents were found in a rucksack at Donaldson’s home at Aitnamona Crescent, west Belfast.

Detective Inspector Paul McClatchey told magistrate Mark Hamill that when charged Donaldson, a former IRA prisoner, replied: “Not guilty.”

He said he believed he could connect him to all the charges.

He told the court that when police searched Donaldson’s workspace at the Sinn Fein offices at Stormont last Friday a CD-ROM and floppy disc were removed. They were among a vast amount of articles which were being examined as part of the investigation he said.

But DI McClatchey said that the charges were not connected to the CD-ROM and floppy disc.

Donaldson was remanded in custody until October 11. His solicitor Peter Madden said there would be an application for bail at the High Court later.

Mr Madden complained about press coverage of Donaldson’s arrest and the circumstances surrounding it, saying there would be a strong defence to all the charges and the speculative journalism had not been helpful.

“Reports surrounding the circumstances of this case not before the court and not proven had infringed all fair trial rights and inflamed a situation that is already very serious,” he said.

A 46-year-old woman also appeared in court in Belfast yesterday accused of having an IBM Think Pad laptop which could be useful to terrorists and also of having the personal details of full-time employees of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Fiona Farrelly, a caterer from Rosgoill Park in west Belfast was remanded to appear on video-link on October 11.