Calls on Gerry Adams to explain why two witnesses in the “Slab” Murphy trial sought to change their evidence – Doherty

Fine Gael TD for Meath East, Regina Doherty says Gerry Adams’ opposition to the Special Criminal Court, and his condemnation of the conviction of Thomas “Slab” Murphy shows the Sinn Féin party is beholden to the Republican Movement.

“The Sinn Fein leader’s pretence that the prosecution and conviction of dangerous criminals, many of them associated with the so-called Republic Movement, can be secured through the ordinary courts process is a complete fiction, and Mr. Adams knows that to be the case.

“In the recent, lengthy trial in that court of Mr. Murphy, it was especially interesting that two of the witnesses who were called by the State sought to change their evidence from what they had originally stated in their statements to the Gardai.

“A report in the Irish Independent on the trial, at its conclusion, back on December 18th last, stated:

‘Two witness statements were read into evidence under a Section 16 application. Section 16 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, allows for a witness’s statement to be read into evidence if there is an inconsistency between evidence given in court and a statement given to Gardaí’.

Deputy Doherty continued: “Why did these witnesses seek to change their evidence in this case?   Perhaps Mr. Adams might let us know why he thinks these witnesses sought to do so.

“I think ordinary decent, law-abiding Irish people, up and down this country, have no difficulty drawing the obvious conclusion from this sinister development in that trial, and concluding also that, however unfortunate, we still need the jury-less Special Criminal Court as a vital weapon available to the Gardaí and the State in confronting serious criminality, in all its guises, whether by so-called Republicans, drug gangs or other forms of organised crime, in this country.”