MI5 – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

Two convicted in Real IRA arms plot trial

Pete Baker on June 30, 2010, 5:08 pm

| Readers 10

As reported here. 35 security service agents applied for anonymity before the start of the trial. Previously, the judge ruled that a third defendant had been entrapped by MI5. From the BBC report The judge described the Security Services’ operation as an “elaborate and successful” hoax. The trial was the first for 20 years in which MI5 agents gave evidence in a Belfast court. McCaugherty showed no emotion and occasionally yawned as Mr Justice Hart, sitting in a Diplock, no-jury court, …

Judge rules MI5 “entrapped” one of Real IRA arms plot accused

Pete Baker on June 18, 2010, 12:34 pm

| Readers 37

The BBC reports that, at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice Hart has ruled that one of the accused in an alleged Real IRA arms plot was “entrapped” by an MI5 agent. From the BBC report Mr Justice Hart said that given the evidence of two meetings between Amir and Mr Kearns in particular, Mr Kearns had been “entrapped”. “The defence have satisfied me that Kearns’ conduct was brought about by the misconduct of Amir during those meetings, that the offences were …

Sinn Féin’s veiled threat over police co-operation

Pete Baker on May 28, 2010, 7:32 pm

| Readers 439

As reported by BBC NI’s Vincent Kearney, Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey has been making veiled threats about reviewing the level of the party’s co-operation with the police unless an ongoing legal action taken by the brother of a former Sinn Féin candidate is resolved to their satisfaction. I say veiled threat because, despite Vincent Kearney’s best efforts on Evening Extra, Alex Maskey wouldn’t specify on air what it was the party was going to do. From the BBC report Sinn …

Sinn Féin: “a criminal gang whom we consider has connections to MI5”

Pete Baker on May 23, 2010, 1:27 pm

| Readers 102

Via Newshound. Here’s an interesting little story to consider from the News Letter A SINN Fein property has been razed to the ground in an apparent arson attack in south Armagh. The portable building in the Ford Cross area, close to Silverbridge, was used by the Burns Moley cumann as both a meeting place and for storage. It said a number of historical artefacts were also destroyed in the blaze. Councillor Colman Burns condemned the incident, which took place in the …

Civil servant failed 2004 security vetting due to intelligence report on brother

Pete Baker on May 19, 2010, 10:28 pm

| Readers 175

BBC Northern Ireland home affairs correspondent, Vincent Kearney, reports on the case of Kevin Kennedy, who is suing the PSNI after he was forced to resign from a job with the Northern Ireland Policing Board in 2004 after failing a security vetting. Last month, Mr Kennedy failed in a legal attempt to gain access to the intelligence information on which the police based their assessment. During a hearing at the High Court in Belfast, it was revealed that the Board was told during …