Gerry Adams says Spotlight allegations undermine peace progress
High Court Reporters
Gerry Adams has claimed allegations made about him in a BBC Spotlight programme undermine progress achieved during the Northern Ireland peace process.
The former Sinn Féin leader was giving evidence on the second week of his High Court action against the BBC, in which he claims a Spotlight programme and a related article published in 2016 defamed him by falsely accusing him of sanctioning the 2006 killing of British agent Denis Donaldson.
The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams, who insists he had no involvement in Mr Donaldson’s death, which dissident republicans claimed responsibility for in 2009.
Continuing his cross-examination of Mr Adams on Wednesday, Paul Gallagher SC, for the BBC, referred to allegations about Mr Adams made in various books and newspapers.
Mr Adams said counsel was attempting to “smother” the jury with “obscure” allegations, and that he was trying to persuade the jury that his reputation is “useless”, that he has “no reputation whatsoever”.
Mr Adams said that he never sued over previous, repeated claims made that he was a member of the IRA and sat on its army council because he was advised by his solicitors he wouldn’t get a fair trial.
The fact he has sued the BBC over the claims made in the Spotlight programme shows how seriously he takes the allegations made in it, Mr Adams said.
He said the inference of the Spotlight programme that his and others’ efforts to persuade the IRA to end its armed campaign and “leave the stage" was a "scam”.
Mr Adams continued that the programme inferred the IRA leadership authorised the killing of Mr Donaldson, and they came to him for “permission”.
“I consider that to be a grievous, grievous smear, and could have no other impact on the peace process but to undermine what we have achieved,” Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams said that counsel was seeking to persuade the jury that he had “no reputation whatsoever” because of allegations that he was a member of the IRA and sat on its army council.
Mr Adams’ barristers objected to Mr Gallagher’s questioning during the cross-examination, submitting that material from news articles was being advanced as the truth of their contents.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens reminded the jury that “all of this blather” about Mr Adams being a member of the army council is not something they have to decide on. He said they were entitled to consider relevant material in the public domain.
Mr Adams later said he’d acknowledge that certain allegations made about him were in the public domain “for a very, very long time”. “I don’t for a second recognise their accuracy ... in fact I deny them.”
Asked if he was “appalled” by an allegation in an article that he sat on the army council, Mr Adams said he was “irritated” by it. He said the allegation was “getting in the way”.
Questioned by Mr Gallagher about a speech he made at Sinn Féin’s Ard Fheis in 1986 – significant for Mr Adams’ advocating for the party to end its policy of abstentionism – Mr Adams said that he has “never purported to speak for the IRA, ever”.
The trial continues.
