Two detective gardaí facing perjury charges relating to evidence they gave during the Colm Murphy trial were returned for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Det Garda Liam Donnelly and Det Garda John Fahy face two counts each of falsely swearing evidence during the trial of the man who had been accused of involvement in the Omagh bombing.
Mr Murphy was convicted in the Special Criminal Court in January 2002 of conspiring to cause an explosion. A retrial was ordered yesterday after the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction on two grounds. The first concerned the Special Criminal Court's approach to the alteration of Garda interview notes and the evidence given by two Garda officers.
At Dublin District Court yesterday, Judge John Coughlan was told that the books of evidence had been served on Det Garda Donnelly and Det Garda Fahy.
The men were part of the Carrickmacross-based team of officers who interviewed Mr Murphy. They were charged with committing the perjury offences between October 18th and November 15th, 2001.
Both men replied "not guilty" when they were originally charged with the offences.
Judge Coughlan directed that Det Garda Donnelly and Det Garda Fahy be sent forward for trial during the present sittings of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He advised the men that if they were going to rely on any alibis in their defence, then they must notify the prosecution of these alibis before the trial.
Judge Coughlan also ordered that the men be remanded on the same bail of €100 each. This was set when they first appeared in court earlier this month.
The men, both wearing navy suits, stood together as they waited for their case to be heard. Neither man spoke during his brief appearance. The court heard that they would be represented by one junior counsel and one senior counsel each.
