Information on TDs found in home of alleged IRA member, court hears

Gardaí found documents relating to the movements of a number of TD's in a briefcase taken from the home of a Dublin man accused of IRA membership, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

Prosecuting counsel Mr George Birmingham SC told the court that the documents found in the briefcase at the home of Niall Binead "related to the activities and movements of a number of elected representatives, members of Dáil Éireann from different political parties.''

He said that gardaí also found other documents relating to movements and activities of people who might be suspected of involvement in crime or anti-social activity, such as drugs.

Niall Binead, also known as Niall Bennett, (aged 36), of Faughart Road, Crumlin and Kenneth Donohue (aged 26), of Sundale Avenue, Mountainview, Tallaght who have pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on October 10, 2002.

Mr Birmingham told the court that the evidence against the two men would consist of the belief of Detective Chief Superintendent Phil Kelly , head of the Special Detective Unit and that belief would be supported by other evidence.

He said that the court would hear that an off duty Detective Garda, Michael Masterson , who lives in Bray noticed a number of men acting suspiciously around three vehicles in the Cork Abbey area of Bray on the night of October 10, 2002.

He contacted Shankill Garda Station and gardaí who arrived on the scene went to a transit van. Inside the transit van they found four men as well as a sledgehammer, a pick axe handles, radios and a black balaclava.

In a Nissan Almera car with false number plates they found a blue flashing beacon, a Long Kesh baseball cap, a stun gun , a canister of CS gas and a roll of masking tape.

The transit van was traced to its owner who is a Sinn Féin member and who had made it available for election purposes on the night in question.

Mr Birmingham said that Binead was arrested on December 20, 2002 and the documents were found in a briefcase at his home. His thumbprint was also found on the roll of masking tape found in the Nissan Almera car.

The trial is continuing.