Ex-IRA man trial 'at odds with deal', says Higgins

Suzanne Breen, Northern Editor

Socialist MEP Joe Higgins has expressed concern about the prosecution of a former IRA gun-runner and Sinn Féin ard comhairle member for the attempted murder of a UDR man 30 years ago.

Higgins has told the British government that, while he doesn't share the politics of Gerry McGeough, the decision to charge him with an offence committed during the height of the Troubles "seems at odds with the provisions of the Good Friday agreement".

McGeough, from Co Tyrone, is the first republican to be charged with historical crimes since the 1998 agreement. He is charged with IRA membership in 1975 and the 1981 attempted murder of UDR man Sammy Brush. He has pleaded not guilty.

His trial, which opened in March, has ended but judgment has not been delivered. Higgins also complained that McGeough had faced a Diplock, no-jury trial.

He told the British secretary of state for the North, Owen Patterson: "I would like to register my protest at the ongoing use of Diplock courts in Northern Ireland which... fall far short of the best of what is normally available."

January 9, 2011

Comments

#1 knowtoomuch commented, on January 9, 2011 at 8:02 p.m.:

I have always thought that this prosecution was a waste of time, Gerry Mc Geough is the writer of his own situation having signed sworn statements saying he was the gunman, it may well be the case that Mr Brush could have brought proceedings against the state had they not prosecuted with so much evidence available, mind you I would have thought Joe Higgins would have more to do with his time.....I would like to see the State focus their time and energy on those Political leaders and Church leaders who concealed the Rape of Children....

#2 knowtoomuch commented, on January 9, 2011 at 8:05 p.m.:

I also meant to say that there is a Diplock Court in Dublin that is being used almost every day it is called the Special Criminal Court....do we only see the speck in the in the eye of other jurisdictions while we have a plank in our own.....

#3 Peter commented, on January 9, 2011 at 9:06 p.m.:

Once again Joe Higgins.. has shown to be standing head and shoulders above the rest on matters of principle.. he displays politics of honor.. even though he holds a different view than Gerry McGeough.

#4 knowtoomuch commented, on January 9, 2011 at 10 p.m.:

"politics of honour" may be a stretch of the imagination there Peter....the majority of 'republicans' who found themselves in the dock were the ones who could not keep their mouth shut.....Joe might be better suited to concern himself with the 5,500 children presently being denied operations at our children's hospitals due to the corruption of this Fianna Failure administration and their decaying green fig leaf......

#5 BH commented, on January 10, 2011 at 2:03 p.m.:

Joe Higgins is an incredible politician and a man of great integrity. The comments below this article show another attempt by pro-British elements to smear the name of a good man for his principled stand in regards to the case against Gerry McGeough.

As someone who observed the trial in Belfast - i can guarantee that Mr. McGeough made no "sworn statements" to anyone.

P.S anyone who believes that Joe has not exposed the corruption of Fianna Fail is living in cloud cuckoo land. He is one of the few politicians who pulls no punches when it comes to dealing with corrupt politicians. Well done Joe!!

#6 Helen McClafferty commented, on January 10, 2011 at 2:38 p.m.:

Already, political enemies of McGeough are making derrogatory comments. The new tact is that Gerry McGeough is now responsible for everything. They claim that he made "sworn statements" etc. This is nonsense and completely untrue and is just an attempt to prevent anyone of influence (eg Joe Higgins) from taking an interest in this case.

What are these sworn statements? Do they mean a novel, a work of fiction? Do they mean political asylum application papers from Sweden? Another human rights violation. These have already been discredited as unreliable in court.

The reality is that there are no sworn statements of any description in regard to this matter and the writer of these "untruths" (Knowtoomuch) is attempting to influence the outcome of the verdict.

The commentator (Knowtoomuch) appears to clearly have a pro-British political agenda, which is to railroad Gerry McGeough into jail on fabricated evidence. Fair play to Joe Higgins for not being intimidated by this.

#7 Chris and Mary Fogarty commented, on January 10, 2011 at 4:50 p.m.:

The Big Lie underpinning Britain's persecution of Gerry McGeough is "IRA terrorism."

Political murders of children exemplify terrorism at its most extreme; and of the 173 such murders of children all but 20 were perpetrated by British forces. For comprehensive details see my www.terrorismireland.org.

#8 knowtoomuch commented, on January 11, 2011 at 10:01 a.m.:

Now Now - Is it now the case that medical staff at Monaghan Hospital are British Agents...for it is they who first told the Gardai that Gerry mc Geough identified himself to them after he went to Monaghan Hospital seeking medical help....as for Gerry Signing sworn Affidavitts....Yes he did....perhaps it is time for Gerry to stand up like a man and stop using idiots to run round trying to defend the undefensible.....

#9 knowtoomcuh commented, on January 11, 2011 at 10:09 a.m.:

Chris and Mary Fogarty - are you living in Cockoo land - the provisional IRA murdered 21 year old Paul Quinn only a few months ago in Monaghan, their semtex murdered 29 men, women and children (and unborn twins) in Omagh 15th August 1998.....school boy Columbia Mc Veigh who was kidnapped, murdered and secretly buried in Monaghan by the IRA has not yet been discovered.....your definition of terrorism is blinkered by ignorance of the facts......

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