“Yes, I read about them in the papers”.

As an iol report noted this morning, the European Arrest Warrant for Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams’ brother Liam was endorsed by Dublin’s High Court yesterday. RTÉ reports that at 2.10 this afternoon Liam Adams arrived at Bridewell Garda Station by appointment with his solicitor. He was arrested and escorted to the High Court where he “told the court that he did not want to go back to Northern Ireland because he believed he would not get a fair trial there.” He has been released on bail of 15,000 euros and is due to appear before a criminal court in Dublin next Wednesday. And according to the Guardian report

The Guardian has learned that Liam Adams’s legal team will argue that their client has a right to have the case against heard in the Irish Republic, where they will contend he will get a fairer trial than in Northern Ireland.

And from a later iol report

Mr Adams, with an address at Bernagh Drive, Belfast, Northern Ireland told the court he left Northern Ireland because he was afraid that due to the publicity the allegations had received he could not get a fair trial. He said he left the North after an article appeared about him in the Sunday World Newspaper.

Mr Adams also told the court that he and his family had been treated “disgracefully by the media.”

The court also heard from Remy Farrell Bl for the State that the Gardaí had strong concerns, but did not object, to Mr Adams being granted bail on grounds including the seriousness of the allegations against Mr Adams.

Giving details of arrest Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan told the court that he arrested Mr Adams at the Bridewell Station in Dublin after meeting him by arrangement on Thursday afternoon.

Sgt Kirwan told counsel that when Mr Adams was asked if he knew about the charges contained in the warrant he said “Yes, I read about them in the papers”.

Sgt Kirwan said that he was asked by Mr Adams when the allegations against him are said to have occurred. The Gardaí replied between March 1977 and March 1983. The Garda said that Mr Adams then said “I just want to say that I am not guilty of that”.

Pete Baker