THE TRIAL in Lithuania of an Irishman charged with attempting to buy and smuggle arms and explosives for the Real IRA has been put back to October.
Michael Campbell (36), from Dundalk, Co Louth, a brother of Liam Campbell implicated in the Real IRA Omagh bombing, appeared in court in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius yesterday.
Liam Campbell is one of four alleged senior Real IRA figures whom a civil court found were involved in the 1998 Omagh bombing that killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins. The four were ordered to pay £1.6 million in damages to the Omagh families who took the case.
The Lithuanian authorities are seeking the extradition of Liam Campbell, who is in custody in Northern Ireland on foot of an extradition warrant relating to the same charges facing his brother.
Michael Campbell was arrested in a sting operation in Lithuania in January 2008 involving the Lithuanian authorities in co-operation, it is believed, with security services in Ireland and Britain.
He was arrested when allegedly negotiating an arms purchase with Lithuanian agents posing as arms dealers.
He was detained after allegedly paying €10,000 for guns and about 10kg of high explosives and detonators.
“During conversations he did not conceal that the arms and explosives were meant for the Real IRA and were to be used against the authorities, like blowing up police armoured vehicles,” deputy chief prosecutor Irmantas Mikelinions said.
Campbell faces 10-20 years in jail if found guilty, the prosecutor added. If convicted and sentenced he can be moved to Ireland, the prosecutor said. The trial is expected to last several months.
Proceedings formally opened in court in Vilnius yesterday. The main element of the trial is due to begin in October.
Ingrida Botyriene, defence lawyer, said Campbell had not stated how he would respond to the charges.
Part of the defence case is expected to relate to entrapment claims and that there is not sufficient evidence for a conviction.
The prosecution sought to have the public excluded from the trial. This, it is understood, is because of the sensitive nature of some of the intelligence evidence, which involves intelligence agencies from Britain and Ireland, and because of a possible threat to witnesses. The judge refused, but said the case would be closed when witnesses whose identities must be concealed were to give evidence.
The defence sought bail for Campbell who has been in detention since January 2008. The judge is expected to judge on this application next week.