Belfast solicitor to represent suspected Kinahan mob boss

Belfast solicitor to represent suspected Kinahan mob boss

A solicitor from Northern Ireland is set to represent suspected mob boss Daniel Kinahan before the Irish courts in Dublin.

Defence barrister David Perry told the Special Criminal Court on Monday that Darragh Mackin would act as Kinahan's defence solicitor.

Kinahan, 49, appeared before the court by videolink from Portlaoise Prison for the second time as he faces a charge of directing the activities of a criminal organisation.

At his first court appearance last August, he had no legal representation.

Mackin, from Phoenix Law in Belfast, was unable to attend court in Dublin on Monday because he was dealing with "other matters elsewhere", which were "unexpected", Perry told the court.

Perry asked for the case to be put back for a week, and Judge Caroline Biggs remanded the matter for seven days.

Perry said Kinahan would appear in person at the next court hearing next Monday, adding that it was his preference to appear in person.

Kinahan was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 9 August and flew back to Ireland aboard the Irish government's new jet.

He was brought before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin in a high-security operation and charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between 18 October 2015 and 6 April 2017.

Kinahan was arrested in the UAE in April.

He appealed the extradition order over the past few months, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously said the Kinahan cartel was responsible for importing tonnes of drugs and firearms around the world and has also been linked to more than a dozen gangland murders.

Kinahan was not only wanted by the authorities in Ireland - the US Treasury Department once described the Kinahan cartel as one of the most dangerous in the world.

Kinahan faces the charge before the Special Criminal Court, a three-judge, non-jury court.