This article is from page 83 of the 2008-05-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 83 JPG
TRACES of the poison ricin were found during a search of Essam Eid’s cell in Limerick prison in April 2007.
The traces were found in a contact lens case under his bed, according to the prosecution, and the find was made on foot of intelligence from the sdk
“It was taken for testing by the army and was found to contain the ricin poison,” said Prosecutor Tom
O’Connell.
“That in a context where poison- ing had been discussed as one of the methods of assassination. The case against Mr Eid, the prosecution says, is an overwhelming case,” the Pros- ecutor said.
Mr O’Connell told the listening jury that the “conspiracy was hatched” between August | and September 26, 2006.
“A conspiracy is in essence an agreement between two or more per- sons to do an unlawful act. It will be
the State’s case that the conspiracy was to kill these three persons,” he nee
Included in the information to be presented to the jury will be evi- dence from the FBI, who carried out investigations in Las Vegas, details of computer and phone traffic and statements made by several people.
Mr O’Connell told the court that Essam Eid claimed to know Sharon Collins and “claimed to be her lover and that she had paid for tickets for him to come to Ireland”.
He said that an Irish soldier came upon ‘hitmanforhire’ on the internet and after email exchanges, Tony Lu- ciano rang him and asked him could he get him a gun in Ireland. The sol- dier panicked and said it wasn’t him who had sent the emails, but that it was a flatmate.
Mr O’Connell told the jury that after the alleged burglary and de- mand for cash from Robert Howard, he spoke to his father PJ, who at the time was on a boat with Sharon Col- lins in Spain.
“Later that night, Sharon Collins told PJ for the first time about Mar- ia Marconi, who was tutoring her about becoming a novelist,” said Mr O’Connell.
He said she told Mr Howard that Ms Marconi had visited Ennis.
“There is no trace of Maria Mar- coni. She has disappeared off a com- puter, even though she said she had been in almost daily contact.
“The prosecution regards this as a fabulous lie. She is a phantom,’ he said.