AN attempt will be made today in a New York court to have Mr Sean O'Callaghan, former IRA member turned informer, testify in a deportation hearing against another ex IRA member, Mr Brian Pearson.
Mr O'Callaghan is to open his US visit today with a press conference in Washington.
Mr Martin Galvin, the attorney for Mr Pearson, said yesterday he would be citing an article in The Irish Times concerning Mr O'Callaghan's visit to the US this week to try to show that his client would be in danger if he returns to Northern Ireland.
Mr O'Callaghan told The Irish Times last week he would be testifying on behalf of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service which is seeking to have Mr Pearson and six other former IRA members deported. But the INS now says it will not be calling Mr O'Callaghan at the New York hearing following a decision taken in Washington.
The White House National Security staff which handles Northern Ireland matters is believed to have been concerned at the report that Mr O'Callaghan was going to testify in a deportation hearing. The US administration approved a waiver to allow Mr O'Callaghan to get a visa on the understanding that it was to be a speaking tour sponsored by the London Sunday Times.
It now appears that a political decision was taken in Washington to prevent the INS in New York from calling Mr O'Callaghan.
But Mr Galvin yesterday said that if the INS does not call Mr O'Callaghan, he will ask the judge to subpoena him as he will be in the jurisdiction. "We would be delighted to put him on the stand. We think his credibility would be forever shattered if he ever took the stand as a witness."
Mr Galvin also said that at today's hearing he will present the Irish Times article as an exhibit. "We are going to request if any deal has been made so that part of the consideration in his getting the visa was his willingness to testify against Mr Pearson. This might I have been pushed by the British government," Mr Galvin said.
If we could show that, that would show that the British government has an interest in Mr Pearson and the he would be targeted or might very well be persecuted if he were sent back to Northern Ireland," Mr Galvin said.
Claims that Mr O'Callaghan; would be having a series of meetings with the editorial boards of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe as well as appearing on several high profile TV current affairs programmes have been queried here. The newspapers and the TV producers concerned have said that they are unaware of any meetings arranged with Mr O'Callaghan.
Tomorrow he will have a public debate on Capitol Hill with Republican congressman, Mr Peter King, who is a staunch supporter of Sinn Fein president Mr Gerry Adams. Mr O'Callaghan may have a meeting with staff members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but not with the full committee, as was claimed last week.