Justice for Omagh families as real IRA boss is convicted

By DAVID McKITTRICK

The conviction of Michael McKevitt yesterday was hailed as a degree of justice for the families of the victims of the Omagh bomb, just nine days short of the fifth anniversary of the massacre.

Although McKevitt was convicted on charges which did not relate specifically to the attack which killed 29 people in 1998, Omagh relatives present in the Dublin Special Criminal Court warmly welcomed the verdict.

The conviction of the 53-year-old defendant, from the border county of Louth in the Irish Republic, is regarded as a considerable setback for the group, although it has been able to maintain its sporadic campaign of violence while he has been in prison on remand.

A lengthy jail term is anticipated when McKevitt is sentenced today, since one of the charges carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Yesterday the police, who had been on a heightened state of alert over fears the conviction might spark revenge attacks, blamed republican dissidents for the attempted abduction of Billy Hutchinson, the Progressive Unionist politician, in Belfast.

Mr Hutchinson was jogging in the Shankill area when four men tried to bundle him in to a car. He escaped.

Victor Barker, whose son James, aged 12, died in the bombing, described the conviction as "a step forward in our fight for justice".
He said McKevitt was "the man who has the blood of innocent people on his hands".

Laurence Rush, whose wife, Elizabeth, was killed, said: "I am delighted that he was convicted. It still leaves a wanting in myself. I am very, very, very happy. I applaud the judges. I hope we will continue this. It has been a really, really long five years and it still hasn't ended."

The judges ruled that the evidence of the FBI agent David Rupert had stood up to extensive cross-examination, describing him as a truthful witness whose credibility had not been impugned.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Callinan of the Garda later thanked the FBI and MI5 for their co-operation in the trial, saying of Mr Rupert: "The decision has vindicated his position and we are very, very grateful to him for having come forward. It was a very brave thing to do."

McKevitt remained in the cells beneath the court yesterday, refusing repeated requests from its three judges to attend the proceedings. He had a note delivered asking for leave to appeal against the verdict.

The charges against him were of IRA membership and of directing terrorism. He is the first person to be prosecuted for the latter, an offence created after the Omagh bombing.

McKevitt and his deputy, Liam Campbell, from southArmagh, have both been behind bars for several years, but even so their grouping, which is believed to comprise about 200 members, has continued to mount attacks. Although McKevitt led the Real IRA at the time that Omagh was bombed in 1998, he is not thought to have been actively involved on the day of the attack.

Police on both sides of the border are continuing to pursue the bombers. The Royal Ulster Constabulary's investigation in the North has been condemned as inept. After critical comments by the police ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, the inquiry was thoroughly reviewed under the auspices of a senior police officer from England.

Mike Tonge, Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside, said in April that the investigation had gained a new momentum, describing it as "live and viable".

Only one man has been jailed in connection with the bombing, Colm Murphy, from south Armagh, who was sentenced to 14 years in January 2002 after being convicted in Dublin of conspiring to cause an explosion. He is appealing against conviction.

While no one has been charged with the Omagh murders, others directly involved in the bombing are believed to be behind bars in the Republic in connection with lesser offences.

A man arrested last month after the seizure of a bomb is one of the prime suspects in the Omagh inquiry. It is said that he drove the car containing the bomb into the town. Another man arrested at the same time was mentioned in court during Colm Murphy's trial.

- INDEPENDENT