Garda Insists He Saw FBI Agent With McKevitt


A member of the Garda National Surveillance Unit denied at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday that he was "profoundly wrong" in seeing the alleged "Real IRA" leader, Mr Michael McKevitt, and an FBI agent, Mr David Rupert, leaving a house in Dundalk together in February 2000. 

Det Sgt Thomas Healy told the court: "I can assure you I am profoundly correct. I am a fair and honest person."

Mr McKevitt's counsel, Mr Philip Magee SC, put it to the detective sergeant that his client had never been at any meeting with Mr Rupert at Oaklands Park, Dundalk, on February 18th, 2000, "or any other date".

Det Sgt Healy replied: "Somebody has a great imagination, and it's not me. He was there and I saw him. I have known Michael McKevitt for years. I know Mr Rupert.

"I saw the two of them enter the house separately and leave the house. I have no doubt in my mind."

The garda had told the court earlier that he saw Mr McKevitt and Mr Rupert talking together at the door of a house at Oaklands Park after they left the house.

He said that Mr Rupert then left the area in a car, and Mr McKevitt was picked up by his son in another car a short time later.

He denied a suggestion by Mr Magee that Mr Rupert was the last person he saw entering the house that night and that Mr Rupert had left the house and walked down the road.

Mr Magee said: "Mr McKevitt's case is that he was not there."

It was the 22nd day of the trial of Mr Michael Mc Kevitt (53), of Beech Park, Blackrock, Dundalk, Co Louth, who denies membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, and also denies directing the activities of the same organisation.