"Minister Comes"?

national | crime and justice | other press Tuesday December 13, 2005 06:42 by R. Isible

What is the Indo trying to tell us

Frequently the Indo (Big Swinging Mickey's Organ of Choice) publishes early morning draughts that are later redacted. There are often choice nuggets of information available in these. Seems that the Man at the Min gets off on bashing Frank Connolly.

McDowell sticks by claims linking journalist to IRA plot
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JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell was last night standing by allegations linking a journalist to an alleged IRA plot to sell bomb-making skills to Colombian guerillas.

He brushed aside calls for his resignation and insisted claims he made in the Dail that Frank Connolly travelled to a rebel-controlled area of Colombia on a false passport were true.

The row broke last week when independent TD Finian McGrath tabled a written question to the minister asking for his views on attempts to undermine the Centre for Public Inquiry, headed by Mr Connolly.

Under Dail privilege Mr McDowell claimed Mr Connolly travelled to Colombia under a false passport with a senior IRA figure. Mr Connolly has denied the claims. Mr McDowell yesterday told an RTE radio interviewer he had supplied the Irish Independent with information alleging that Mr Connolly used a bogus name on a passport application and travelled to Colombia with a senior IRA figure.

"It is not a concern of mine that that matter appeared in the Irish Independent, because I supplied it to the Irish Independent," he said. "It was a false, bogus application form which was generated as part of a subversive activity."

MINISTER COMES

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