Terrorism funding suspect’s bail hearing due on Friday

An application for bail by a man accused of providing funding to an international terrorist group is due to be heard this Friday by the High Court.

Hassan Bal (25), formerly of O'Connell Street in Waterford city, made his latest appearance at Waterford District Court on Tuesday morning and was again remanded in custody.

He is charged with providing funding for a foreign terrorist group on October 2nd 2015, and attempting to collect funding for a foreign terrorist group on October 23rd 2015.

The court was told last week that an application for bail would be made before the High Court, sitting at Cloverhill. That application was since adjourned and the accused’s solicitor, Ken Cunningham, told the court this morning that it is due to go ahead this Friday.

The accused was already refused bail by the District Court. Gardaí objected on the grounds of the seriousness of the alleged offences; the potential sentence if convicted which could be up to 20 years; and the risk of flight out of the country by Hassan Bal if granted bail.

The court has been told that an investigation led by Waterford gardaí and which led to Mr Bal's arrest at accommodation he was renting at the time in O'Connell Street in Waterford, involved Interpol, the FBI and the London Metropolitan Police.

Judge Kevin Staunton remanded the accused in custody, to appear again before Waterford District Court next Tuesday.

Mr Bal is originally from the UK but moved to Ireland in 2003 with his family, living initially in Wexford and then Waterford.

He is married and his wife is expecting their first child, the court has heard.