The Framing of Michael McKevitt

international | crime and justice | news report

Sunday June 25, 2006 01:31

by Political Hostage - Michael McKevitt Justice Campaign

politicalhostage at eircom dot net

www.michaelmckevitt.com

“A false illusion is created in this case that indirectly justice is being done for the victims of the Omagh atrocity and their families. False. This a short-term gain and a long-term loss.”

Mons. Raymond Murray:

This pamphlet entitled The Framing of Michael McKevitt is disturbing. For me it is a strong argument for the legal innocence of Michael McKevitt on the charge of directing the activities of an illegal organization and membership of the same organization namely the Real IRA. Its portrayal of the injustices of his trial in a Special Court is familiar one to me. I co-authored similar cases and situations in pamphlets like Corruption of Law in 1974 ( a memorandum to the Gardiner Committee on the working of Emergency Legislation in northern Ireland). The Birmingham Framework published in 1977 one year after the trial and condemnation of six innocent men, and British Justice is Flawed written in 1988 in which Fr. Faul and I examined the ways in which people suspected of political offences are treated in England and the lack of safeguards that existed and one could say still exists there. Of course this very same unjust treatment of political suspects and lack of safeguards is what is argued by Marcella Sands in the case of Michael McKevitt. One calls to mind also the IRSP pamphlet Framed through the Special Court: The ‘Great Train Robbery’ Trial. Has the Irish state not learned a lesson to be scrupulous in protecting its institutions of justice?

The first question: were those who belonged to the 32 County Sovereignty Movement entitled to voice their political views on a sovereign 32 county Irish state? Bernadette Sands-McKevitt was a founder member. Did that mean she was linked to the Real IRA and then automatically, in speculation, of participation in the Omagh bombing. Neither Michael nor Bernadette McKevitt have been questioned or arrested by the police for the Omagh bombing. Will the media redress its culpability in naming Michael McKevitt as a perpetrator of the Omagh bombing? This shocking atrocity is surrounded by unanswered questions regarding the foreknowledge of the bombing on the part of MI5 and the Special Branch of the then RUC. Why does the Secretary of State Mr. Peter Haine, who I am sure has access to all the papers of the state, not help to reveal the truth of the whole Omagh tragedy by giving independent legal people access to all the documentary resources? The policy ‘public interest and national security’, proclaimed by the British Attorney General Sir Patrick Mayhew, in 1988, in preventing the prosecution of some RUC officers in respect of ‘Shoot to Kill’ cases in County Armagh, is reflected again and again in a cover-up to protect RUC members, MI5 and their informants. There is a state determination not to reveal the details of RUC and MI5 informants who were mixed up in deadly crime.

Has a philosophy of ‘public interest and national security’ spilled into the Irish Republic in a policy of taking short cuts to suppress subversion and political crime? Has this affected the Gardai Siochana?

The activitiy of the Garda Emergency Response Unit as depicted is this pamphlet is shocking. It amounts to harassment and persecution of the McKevitt family, parents and children, and visitors to their house. Why was this tolerated by the Garda authority in a region which still reverberates from Garda neglect in the investigation of the murder of Seamus Ludlow on 1 May 1976? This is damaging to society. Can action still not be taken against Gardai who were involved in the severe harassment of the McKevitts, which in itself cast suspicion on them? Were their official complaints just ignored and what does that say about people’s protection? Who were the Gardai responsible for the release to the media of Michael McKevitt’s photograph taken while he was in custody and why have they not been investigated for endangering his life?

Central to this pamphlet is the story of the use of the highly paid informant David Rupert by the FBI, MI5 and Gardai, and the acceptance of his evidence by the courts, evidence that was often contradictory. The fundamental purpose of the law is to protect the right to life and the liberty of the citizen from the arbitrary tyrant of despot—only secondarily does it protect the citizen from the law breakers among themselves. This supergrass double-agent system is a perversion of justice and destructive of law precisely because it removes the final and most important shield of protection from the citizens. Evidence of paid and schooled informants resembles the basis for internment where persons were put into jail on the suspicion, prejudice or dislike of anonymous state agents. In this supergrass system a person can be jailed for a long period on the uncorroborated evidence of a person of dubious character. Judges are gravely at fault in accepting supergrass evidence. The recruitment of supergrasses makes their subsequent evidence unreliable, their character being smeared with money rewards and promises of more money. The social and political consequences of accepting the evidence of long term paid informants like David Rupert are very serious and long lasting. Confidence in the domestic courts is lost and now the McKevitt case must seek justice in the European commission and court at Strasbourg. A false illusion is created in this case that indirectly justice is being done for the victims of the Omagh atrocity and their families. False. This a short-term gain and a long-term loss.

To read this pamphlet leaves one with a serious question. Is the administration of law in Michael McKevittt’s case, based on a paid informant’s evidence, impartial? Marcella Sands also argues strongly that MI5, FBI and special police investigators have been selective in the production of documentary evidence. Another serious question—is this administration of law impartial that is backed by the selected information of secret societies like MI5,FBI and special investigators who work in a murky world? The answer is no. In Michael McKevitt’s case the law is crawling in a humble submission before the will of the state and the media to condemn. Alas for the rights of man, for justice, for fair play.

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Comments (13 of 13)

A sense of balance

by Hmmm

Sun Jun 25, 2006 15:25

I am afraid I cannot quite worrk up a sense of outrage about this. This man believes that he has the right to wage war by any means he chooses, whatever the express wishes of the Irish people. he declines to acknowedge the Irish people's right not only to decide what it wants (eg a United Ireland), but to determine how much priority it attaches to this, and most importantly to decide what means are appropriate in its pursuit. He is therefore dangerous - capable of murder and mayhem on a grand scale - if not in Omagh, then sometime, somewhere else. I think keeping him locked up is in all our interests. His rights have to be balanced against OUR right not to have anything remotely like another Omagh inflicted on us.

he should have a right not to be framed

by Barry - 32csm

Sun Jun 25, 2006 16:41

The individual who admitted to his MI5 handlers he selected Omagh as a bomb target , carried out scouting missions ,and selected and video taped the target site was paid millions to get in a witness box and tell lies about Michael McKevitt . This British/American agent , David Rupert was operating illegally in the 26 counties actively planning and encouraging that particular attack .
While the Irish media and police were whipping up their campaign of hysteria against Michael McKevitt they were deliberately ignoring the fact MI5 with garda and RUC assistance were involved in the plan to bomb Omagh from start to finish . In fact it was their agents plan , as he admitted in court .
And this is not the first time MI5 agents were actively involved in deliberate mass murder in Ireland . Dublin Monaghan , the murder triangle , the importation of arms and explosives for their killer gangs . In recent months we've had further revelations that more of the conflicts worst atrocities , the Greysteel and Catslerock massacres and the Loughinisland massacre were the work of state agents as well .
These state agents were able to carry out their mass murders both sides of the border because of corrupt police forces , compliant media which refused to scrutinise their activites and the influence weilded by British intelligence over the political , policing and judicial process north and south of the border . In short a corrupt system facilitated their activities .

Anyone who regards the travesty of Michael McKevitts trial as proper justice is simply propping up the system of corruption which facilitates such deliberate state sponsored atrocities . Michael McKevitt was nothing more than a scapegoat to divert attention from the true origins of how 30 odd people were killed in Omagh , who planned it , who supplied the car , who may have supplied the explosives and why .
Another man who was treated as a similar public emeny , Colm Murphy was jailed with the assistnce of MI5 after a similar campaign of public hysteria . It now turns out that Colm Murphy was deliberately framed by corrupt gardai who are now facing perjury charges after telling lies on behalf of MI5 , the same organisation whose agent planned the Omagh bombing . The same MI5 who massacred and maimed 100s on the streets of Dublin and whos involvement is still being covered up by the Gardai and southern establishment .
While these murderous bastards are still active in Ireland the potential for further Dublin Monaghans , Greysteels , Loughinislands and Omaghs are still with us .
Farcical trials which cover up their activities and falsely implicate others as scapegoats only make this more likely . Anyone who supports this travesty of justice supports the system whioch facilitates their 35 year campaign of deliberate and repeated mass murder of innocent Irish citizens .

cop on already

by chico

Mon Jun 26, 2006 03:35

barry, your group still maintains relations with the group rupert set up. why?

chico ?

by 32

Mon Jun 26, 2006 17:06

sure your names not RICO ?

answers

by ffs

Mon Jun 26, 2006 17:27

answer the question barry. why do the 32csm maintain relations with a group that was set up by david rupert. does it make sense?

ffs

by tom eile

Mon Jun 26, 2006 17:42

I don't know anything about 32csm's relationship with the group set up by Rupert. Perhaps you should explain . Are you implying that 32 csm is negligent - or something worse? Whatever the case it seems clear to me that McKevitt was set up and framed by Brit/US/Irish intelligence as an example to " dissident " republicans and should not be in prison.

negligent

by negligent

Mon Jun 26, 2006 18:07

I think whats being raised is the group rupert was involved with in america. some inexpliable reasons the 32csm is to this day working with that group. if american/british intell services through their (known) agent rupert were working to break republicanism there then it is only logical that those who worked side by side with rupert should have been removed from postions of authority. yet the same clique which with rupert operated in still in place. this has been raised on the 32s bulletin board and other places. no one could understand it then, and they still cannot. Yes, McKevitt was framed. That is obvious, yet why do the 32csm stil workwith those whose activity put him and others in gaol. do you think thats being negligent?

Mon Jun 26, 2006 18:30

"it is only logical that those who worked side by side with rupert should have been removed from postions of authority"
The whole business needs to be investigated alright ,but weren't there people in Ireland working side by side with him as well ? Didn't the 32s as a whole allow themselves to be taken in by him ?

this issue of american support groups

Mon Jun 26, 2006 18:33

firstly is a seperate one from the issue of the framing of Michael McKevitt . Im convinced the poster Chico and his other user name wish to drag the subject being discussed way off topic into another arena .
This issue was certainly raised on the 32 board and the technical department discovered that multiple posts purporting to be from different people were being made from an internet cafe in America . Clearly an individual with an agenda was attempting to lead debate which I suspect is precisely what is going on here .
David Rupert certainly did not create any American support group as this poster maintains and that was made very clear to him on that board by republicans both in Ireland and the United States . This poster wishes to obscure the issue of Michael McKevitts framing by the state in a long drawn out wrangle of claims and counter claims , half truths , lies and spin . Therefore submerging the issue of a state frame up and diveting it into another issue altogether . Indymedia readers should be aware of this agenda as well as previous user name chico used among a host of others on the 32csm board , RICO

RICO just happens to be the favorite law used by the FBI in America

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/orgcrime/lcn/laborrack.htm

Chico/RICOs employers certainly have a vested interest in not only tarnishing the image of republicans but diverting attention away from their role in the frame up of Michael McKevitt and their agents own illegal activities in Ireland with MI5

Furthermore Michael McKevitt and his family have no connection whatsoever with 32csm , therefore the issue of groups which support us are completely irrelevant to this particular debate . Nontheless I suspect Chico/RICO and a host of user names hell employ will now commence to attempt to divert and obscure this debate away from the frame up on which is centred .

done

Mon Jun 26, 2006 18:54

who has claimed that McKevitt wasn't framed by the state? No one has, barry. it is also relevant to the mckevitt case with whom rupert operated and whom was allowed to stay in place. you may also be intrested to know that a leading member of the 32csm's support group in america's nickname is "rico". he even uses it on his email. i'm glad then that you made the connection with what it may stand for. perhaps hes a joker? do you still think its an intresting name to have chosen? i do. i also cannot understand why at a time when the rira is fighting off allegations that it is a hood group of illicit tobacco dealers, that it would have this individual as a rep. see he has an extensive criminal record that is easily found by looking into the illinios dept of corrections. take a look, some real intresting charges there. thats the kind of individual that the feds could easily turn, no? put next to the fact that he worked hand in glove with rupert and its even more intresting. is that being negligent too? ponder those facts barry, im done trying to warn you. let others continue if they wish.

youre done ?

by Barry

Mon Jun 26, 2006 19:00

Good . Now off you go >

Groups with no support

by Paul

Mon Jun 26, 2006 21:17

Questions have to be asked about the small groups with no support from the communities from which they came from. Who do they represent?

If they have no support from their own communities, who are they working for? Where do their resources come from?

It seems to me that a large section of 32CSM is controlled by businessmen in USA, and unknowns in Ireland. There were some young people who got sucked into 32CSM a few years ago, but not now have left.

The public ideals of the 32CSM is popular, but their members are not.

control

Mon Jun 26, 2006 23:59

32CSMs national executive is elected by an open transparent vote at its AGM . Its national executive comprises of figures such as former Hungerstriker Marion Price , National Chairman Francie Mackey , veteran Dublin republican Joe Dillon and a number of ex prisoners who are well known in their own areas. It is subjected to a virtual media blackout as regards its press conferences and public statements , but certinly not as regards the regular smear campaigns in which no right of reply is permitted as a matter of course .
32CSM are banned from fundraising of any kind in the US having been designated a terrorist organisation even prior to 9/11 , were it is a federal offence to either be a member of 32csm or to donate a single cent . It is certainly not controlled by US businessmen , never mind Irish ones . Our extremely limited resources are raised by activists such as my self standing in the rain with a bucket and organising fundraising do's in the few premises that arent afraid of garda and sinn fein threats .

And our support base is coming along quite nicely thank you with no shortage of younger members . The majority of my own reorganised cummann here in south armagh are in their early 20s .

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The Framing of Michael McKevitt

Comments (13 of 13)