'Adams had reputation of being in IRA's Army Council'

GERRY Adams has a reputation among the public for being a member of the Provisional IRA's Army Council, former justice minister and attorney general Michael McDowell has told the High Court.

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He also said members of the Irish Government, in the time following the Belfast Agreement in 1998, considered the former Sinn Fein leader an army council member, based on intelligence briefings.

Mr McDowell was giving evidence in the fourth week of a civil trial of Mr Adams' defamation action against the BBC.