McKevitt gives Smithwick evidence

Michael McKevitt, who is serving a 20-year sentence for directing terrorism and membership of the Real IRA, has told the Smithwick Tribunal he was not tipped off about an imminent search of his home.

The tribunal moved to the Criminal Courts of Justice to hear McKevitt's evidence.

McKevitt was brought to Dublin from Portlaoise prison under armed escort for the hearing.

The tribunal was told gardaí believed he was in possession of a false passport in January 1990.

Gardaí had obtained a search warrant for his home on the evening of January 26th and conducted the search between 7.00am and 8.00am the following day, when no false passport was found.

Mary Laverty SC, for the tribunal, said evidence had been heard from retired detective inspector Dan Prunty that McKevitt may have been tipped off about the impending raid.

McKevitt said his home had been searched a number of times over the years but he had never been told a passport was the subject of any of the searched. “I can be very clear I have never been told there was a search for a passport,” he said.

Dressed in a dark suit and open-necked shirt, McKevitt said noted that events being discussed were about 20 years ago” before saying he was certain there was “no tip off”.

He also repeatedly rejected claims he ever had a “friendly contact” in the Garda.

“No, never,” he said.

Tribunal barrister Mary Laverty SC asked: “If you had, would you be telling me?”

“I’d probably have to, I’m here under oath,” he replied.

Tribunal chairman Judge Peter Smithwick told McKevitt the tribunal did know why the search warrant was granted, and this was because the gardaí were searching for a false passport. “Did you receive a tip off?” he asked.

“Definitely not,” replied McKevitt.

Summing up, Ms Laverty asked McKevitt whether he had received a call to the effect that he was “going to have visitors, get rid of the package”.

McKevitt said this was not the case.

McKevitt’s evidence was concluded after about 10 minutes in the witness box and he was driven back to Portlaoise prison.

He was convicted in the Special Criminal Court in 2003 for directing terrorism and membership of an illegal organisation – said by trial judge Richard Johnson to be the Real IRA. In June 2009, he was one of four people found liable by a civil court in Belfast for the Omagh bombing.

The tribunal is inquiring into suggestions that Garda members in Dundalk, Co Louth, colluded with the IRA in the killings of two RUC officers, Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan, in an IRA ambush in south Armagh on March 20th, 1989, minutes after they left a meeting in Dundalk Garda station.