A CO Louth man wanted in Lithuania on charges of attempting to acquire weapons and ammunition and being engaged in terrorism has been remanded in custody by the High Court.
The Lithuanian authorities are seeking the extradition of Liam Campbell on charges alleging he conspired with three others between the end of 2006 and 2007 to obtain weapons, ammunition and explosive substances in the Baltic republic.
Campbell (46), Upper Faughart, Dundalk, was convicted in May 2004 by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of being a member on October 3rd, 2000, of an unlawful organisation.
He is one of a number of dissident republicans named by relatives of the victims of the Omagh bomb in their civil action.
In 2004 the Special Criminal Court also found him guilty on a second charge of membership of an illegal organisation on July 29th, 2001.
When convicted, Campbell had been in custody since July 29th, 2001, when he was arrested on the second charge.
At the time of that arrest, he was on bail on the first membership charge.
He was jailed for four years on both charges, which were to run consecutively, but the Special Criminal Court suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on the second count and gave credit for time already spent in custody, directing that the sentence date from May 1st, 2001.
In March 2005, the Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed his appeal against his conviction on both charges and it is believed he was freed in early 2008.
Yesterday, Patrick McGrath, for the State, said the Lithuanian warrant seeking Campbell’s arrest was endorsed by the High Court last week.
It included charges alleging attempting to acquire weapons, ammunition, explosives and other items including detonators and timers; being engaged in terrorism; and preparing to smuggle items including firearms and explosive substances.
The court was told Campbell was detained by members of the Garda Extradition Unit at a car park in Dundalk on Tuesday afternoon.
When asked if he was Liam Campbell and given details of his name and address, the court was told he made no reply.
When the charges contained in the warrant were put to him, Campbell replied: “Write this down – I am not guilty of that.”
The State applied for Campbell to be remanded in custody saying it needed to have discussions with the Lithuanian authorities.
A solicitor for Campbell, James McGuill, said the request for a remand in custody on the basis outlined was unsatisfactory and gardaí should make contact with their Lithuanian counterparts to clarify their attitude to bail.
Mr McGuill said his client was unemployed and would be seeking to apply for the legal aid scheme and would hope to make an application for bail sometime this week. Campbell would not be consenting to his extradition to Lithuania, he added.
Mr Justice Michael Peart said he was satisfied the person before the courts was Liam Campbell and remanded him in custody to appear before the court at 2pm today.