Daniel Kinahan: Alleged Irish crime boss will 'vehemently defend' himself in court and apply for bail

Alleged Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan will "vehemently defend" the case against him and plans to seek bail, his solicitor says.

Kinahan, 49, appeared before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday.

He has been charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between 18 October 2015 and 6 April 2017.

He is allegedly the leader of the Kinahan organised crime group, which is said to have smuggled illegal drugs, including cocaine and cannabis - as well as guns - into Europe.

US authorities have described the gang as one of the most "dangerous cartels in the world" and previously offered a reward of up to $5m (£3.7m) for Kinahan's arrest.

Kinahan did not speak during the brief court hearing.

But Darragh Mackin, from Phoenix Law in Belfast, made a formal application to come on record as Kinahan's solicitor.

Speaking after, Mr Mackin said: "We made it clear today that Daniel Kinahan will vehemently defend the case against him. We are anxious to make progress."

He added: "The rule of law applies equally to everybody.

"Nobody is above the rule of law, but equally nobody is below the rule of law - so we now look forward to a trial, hopefully in the early part of next year."

During the hearing, the solicitor told the court that they would be lodging papers and applying for bail in due course. The bail application will be made through the High Court.

He said the timetable for the trial needs to take into account expert examination of digital evidence.

He also said they are seeking full disclosure in relation to two other investigations that Kinahan was acquitted of in two other jurisdictions - one in Spain and one in Dubai.

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Prosecution barrister Dominic McGinn SC said Kinahan was extradited in August in relation to a single charge and that there is a "complex factual matrix" behind the charge.

He said the statement of fact ran to 189 pages and it will take a number of weeks to prepare the book evidence.

Kinahan was arrested in the UAE on 15 April after an arrest warrant was issued by the Irish courts and carried out in accordance with a bilateral extradition agreement.

He was transported to Ireland on an Irish government jet in August, and was taken by high-speed Garda escort to court in Dublin where he was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation.

At today's hearing, Kinahan was remanded into custody. He will appear in court again on 21 December.

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