Scottish GP is accused of terrorism in Belfast

A SCOTTISH GP is behind bars in Northern Ireland as part of a police investigation into the New IRA.

Issam Basalat, 62, of Edinburgh, is accused of preparation of terrorist acts in relation to his attendance at an alleged meeting of the New IRA. He has been remanded in custody.

David Jordan, 49, of Cappagh Road in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, also appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Jordan is accused of belonging to a proscribed organisation between February 8 and July 20, directing a terrorist organisation, and preparation of terrorist acts through attending the same meeting as Basalat at Buninver Road in Omagh, Country Tyrone on July 19, as well as attending a meeting in Sixmilecross on February 9.

Both men appeared in court remotely by video-link from Belfast’s Musgrave police station. There was no application for bail. Defence lawyer Gavin Booth for Basalat set out that his client is a GP based in Scotland who previously chaired the Palestinian Society in Scotland and has addressed the Scottish parliament.

‘He has addressed a number of political groups on a number of political issues in an entirely peaceful and democratic way, nor has he come to the attention of the police for any of those activities,’ he told the court.

He said his client had been ‘pestered’ to attend and address a public meeting that he believed had an ‘exclusively political purpose’, while he was in Northern Ireland to obtain a passport for his daughter in Belfast, and went on to claim that his client had been ‘entrapped’ by an MI5 agent.

Defence lawyer Peter Corrigan for Jordan said issues have been raised around the transcript of some of the evidence.

A PSNI detective chief inspector told the court police had ‘extensively looked at all the processes around the acquisition and indeed the timings in relation to the recordings... we are more than content that the rules of evidence have been complied with and that there are no inaccuracies in relation to the material obtained and indeed that put during interview’.

Jordan’s defence lawyer also contended that his client had been lured to attend the meetings and brought ‘under false pretences’.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall said on the basis of what she had heard she was ‘satisfied that the bar has been crossed in order to connect these defendants to the charges which are before the court’.

A bail hearing for Basalat is to be heard on September 9.

Eight other people have been arrested as part of the same police investigation and all ten will appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on September 18.

‘Preparation of terrorist acts’