FIANNA FÁIL leader Mícheál Martin and the sensationalist media are using the conviction of Thomas Murphy for tax offences to attack Gerry Adams personally and Sinn Féin politically, Deputy Adams has said. He drew attention to the “extraordinary” move of trying Thomas Murphy in a court with no jury and the fact that TDs accused of corruption or tax offences have not faced a Special Criminal Court made up solely of state-appointed judges.

Gerry Adams reminded political opponents seizing upon the case that “year on year, the United Nations Human Rights Committee has called on this state to address the issue of the Special Criminal Court”.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties in October strongly criticised the Fine Gael/Labour Government's decision to establish a second jury-less Special Criminal Court.

The ICCL said in October:

“The UN Human Rights Committee has repeatedly identified the Special Criminal Court as being in violation of Ireland's legal obligations under international human rights treaties and called for its abolition.”

This weekend, emphasising that “Sinn Féin is strongly opposed to tax evasion – everyone has a duty to pay their taxes and there can be no equivocation about this”, Gerry Adams said that Sinn Féin supports the Garda, the criminal justice system and the rule of law.

“Let me be equally clear that Sinn Féin is absolutely opposed to the existence and operation of the non-jury Special Criminal Court.”

He said the Good Friday Agreement – signed more than 17 years ago – places the onus on the Irish and British governments to work towards the normalisation of policing and security matters, North and South.

“It is truly extraordinary that a case regarding a failure to complete tax returns would be heard at the Special Criminal Court,” Gerry Adams said.

“This is in breach of Tom Murphy’s rights under the Constitution and the European Court of Human Rights.

“As I have already remarked, there was nothing ordinary or routine about the trial and conviction of Tom Murphy, who was denied the right to be tried before a jury of his peers and this raises serious concerns.

“Tom Murphy contests the verdict of the Special Criminal Court and maintains his innocence.

“We have seen many prominent figures, including TDs, accused of tax irregularities. Unlike Tom Murphy, they will not be denied their constitutional and civil rights.

“It is unlikely also that they will be labelled criminals by the same media outlets currently writing lurid headlines about Tom Murphy.

“Without any obvious sense of irony, Fianna Fáil leader Míchéal Martin and other merchants of negative spin have declared that my opinions on these matters as expressed above make Sinn Féin unfit for government. This is nonsense.

“The next government will be elected by the electorate, not the Independent Media Group or the Fianna Fáil leader.

“Many of those parties who comment on this matter were investigated by a succession of tribunals. In government they have failed to implement the recommendations of those tribunals.

“Sinn Féin looks forward to that contest when the record of all the candidates and political parties on tax matters, criminality, corruption and other matters will be scrutinised.”