BBC journalists held in garda paramilitary probe
Monday March 17 2008
FOUR BBC journalists were arrested and a film was seized yesterday by gardai investigating paramilitary activity.
Another seven people were were being held last night, along with the BBC personnel, in a Garda stations in Donegal.
The first arrests -- of the BBC staff and three others -- were made early yesterday.
The second group of four, including a Derry-based suspected senior Real IRA figure, were held yesterday afternoon near the border at Bridgend, Co Donegal.
The BBC confirmed that "a number" of its journalists were held in the first group of seven but insisted they were working on an investigation with full editorial authority.
"We can confirm that some of those arrested this morning in Co Donegal were BBC journalists,'' a spokesman said.
"They were working on a BBC Northern Ireland current affairs investigation and had full editorial authorisation under the BBC's guidelines. "The other parties present were fully aware that they were with BBC journalists."
It is understood the journalists included a team working on an investigation for the 'Panorama' programme into diesel-laundering and smuggling along the border.
Agent
Another team in the group is believed to have been working on a documentary for BBC Northern Ireland on murdered IRA double-agent Denis Donaldson. He was killed two years ago at a remote cottage hideaway outside Glenties, Co Donegal, after admitting he spied for the British authorities while holding a senior Sinn Fein position in Belfast.
Gardai were tight-lipped about the arrests. They would only say they related to "ongoing investigations into paramilitary activity".
Six people were being held at Letterkenny Garda station, two in Milford, two in Burnfoot and one was moved to Ballyshannon after initially being quizzed at Milford. Lawyers said they were refused access to the arrested people.
One lawyer said: "We are getting very little information. We're not even being told where the arrests happened.
"I understand the first group was taken into custody about 3am."
A high-powered team of anti-terrorist gardai from Dublin arrived in Co Donegal at 4.15pm yesterday and a top-level conference was under way shortly afterwards at Letterkenny Garda Station.
- Paddy Clancy
