Sinn Fein official is IRA spy, court told

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A senior Sinn Fein official was portrayed yesterday by police as a high-level IRA spy and an activist with worldwide terrorist connections.

The High Court in Belfast was told that Denis Donaldson, 52, was also invited to the wedding of a chef who worked in Castlereagh Special Branch offices, which were broken into earlier this year. Mr Donaldson, who was Sinn Fein's administration chief at Stormont, is accused of involvement in an espionage ring. He was seeking bail on five charges of possessing documents that could be useful to terrorists. His application will continue today.

The court heard that the documents included confidential letters to and from the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Taoiseach and the Ministry of Defence.

Det Supt Roy Suitters said: "There is a serious risk he may not turn up for trial. He has travelled the world establishing links with other groups." A crown prosecutor added that Mr Donaldson had "connections with groups and organisations in Madrid, Beirut, El Salvador and Italy".

Seamus Treacey QC, for the defence, said there was no evidence linking his client to a terror network.

Mr Donaldson's son-in-law Ciaran Kearney was refused bail earlier this month on the same charges. A Stormont porter alleged to have photocopied sensitive documents has been released on bail.