A Donegal County Councillor has slammed the arrest and detention of Co. Donegal man John Downey as ‘outrageous’.
The Creeslough man was extradited to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland earlier this month.
The 67-year-old was refused bail yesterday amid fears he could flee before any trial for the car bomb attack which killed Ulster Defence Regiment members Alfred Johnston and James Eames in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
The High Court Judge in Belfast said on Tuesday that Mr Downey was a “real and substantial risk” to abscond if granted bail.
Speaking following the ruling, local councillor Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig, said: “The ongoing detention of 67-year-old John Downing is outrageous.
“Refusing him bail is inexcusable if only because, in light of the Dublin government’s decision to extradite him, he has no-where to go.
“Moreover, the charges and alleged evidence are without any merit.
“The recent BBC Spotlight programme, ‘The Troubles’ has detailed not only how British authorities colluded with loyalist death squads but that physical and forensic evidence had either been removed or contaminated.
“How on earth can the British State maintain the integrity of what it claims as evidence – supposedly gathered almost a half-century ago – in the John Downey case.”
He added that he should be released and be given an apology by the Irish Government.
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